Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal opened a new ward for canine cancer patients at the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Hospital for Small Animals last week.

The Kennel Club Charitable Trust provided £30,000 towards the 26-kennel ward, which is specifically designed to provide recuperative care and comfortable kennelling facilities for dogs at the University's Hospital for Small Animals. 

The facilities the new dog ward provides will complement the School's £3 million Riddell-Swan Veterinary Cancer Centre, which opened last year. The cancer care centre houses state-of-the-art equipment including a computerised tomography (CT) scanner and a linear accelerator that can provide radiotherapy treatment. 

Caroline Kisko, Secretary of the Kennel Club, said: "The Kennel Club Charitable Trust is extremely pleased that the money it has given to the University of Edinburgh has helped to ensure that its Canine Cancer Care unit could be built.

"The Trust has supported the groundbreaking research being conducted by the University, which is helping to improve our ability to diagnose and treat cancer in dogs, for some time. The Cancer Care Unit will help in a different way, by providing post-treatment and after care for dogs that have been through cancer therapy.  

"People love their dogs as a member of their family, so this is a vital part of the care process. It is comforting for them to know that there are comfortable kenneling facilities where their dogs will receive the recuperative care that they need, as well as the potentially life-saving treatment.

"The Charitable Trust has given millions of pounds to projects which help to improve the health and welfare of dogs across the UK. This unit has established the University's place as a leader in conducting not only lifesaving but also life enhancing work for dogs, and the Trust exists precisely to help projects such as this realise their goals." 

The canine oncology support ward replaces the old feline ward, and the cats have been moved to a new ward further away from the dogs to help prevent cats from becoming stressed by the noise of barking. 

Professor Elaine Watson, Head of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies said: "The dog ward, along with our new feline ward enhances the facilities for animals receiving treatment at the School's Hospital for Small Animals and we are very appreciative of the tremendous support from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust."

Medivet has announced the opening of a "centre of excellence" in orthopaedics at its referral practice in Faversham, Kent.

The team at the centre will be led by Dr Ryk Botes (pictured right), a Medivet Branch Partner with a special interest in orthopaedics and, in particular, replacement surgery.

The company says it is investing in specialist equipment to help the team refine current surgical techniques, including a gait analysis walkway which will be used to help diagnose the cause of lameness and be a means to measure improvement in surgical cases objectively. The data it provides will also enable the team to publish its results in peer-reviewed papers.  

Ryk, who qualified in South Africa and joined Medivet in 2013, said: "The volume of elbow, hip and knee replacements we undertake is growing rapidly and the creation of this new centre of excellence at Medivet Faversham will enable us to provide an even higher standard of service to our clients and to help develop and refine orthopaedic techniques for use by the wider veterinary community.

"Data from the gait analysis walkway will be particularly useful in sharing our findings in scientific papers. We will also use the data to support an ongoing research project in elbow replacement surgery in partnership with one of the leaders in implant technology based in Zurich, Switzerland.

VetNurse.co.uk has joined forces with the Veterinary Wound Library to give veterinary nurses a new, NURSE ONLY source of help and advice for their questions and queries on veterinary wound care.

The new Wound Management Expert Help Forum is a completely new social media format through which any veterinary nurse can come and ask a question which is then shared amongst experts in their field for a reply. Importantly, only the nurse who asked question and the experts can take part in the discussion.

For the new forum, VetNurse.co.uk has joined forces with Georgie Hollis from The Veterinary Wound Library and her team of Bandaging Angels, who include Shelly Jefferies RVN, Zara Clephane RVN and Louis Pailor RVN.

The idea was inspired by Sir Tim Berners Lee, the so called 'father of the Internet', who gave a speech last year in which he bemoaned the lack of provenance and transparency for information and opinions shared on Facebook. What’s more, expert opinion is often drowned amongst the opinions of people who are certainly not experts, and who quite often don’t know what they are talking about.

This new format overcomes this problem because only veterinary experts with a completed profile which shows their qualifications are allowed to reply to questions in the Expert Help Forums on VetNurse.

Furthermore, the forum is a safe NURSE ONLY space to discuss your remit, challenges and responsibilities in a friendly, peer-led environment that can support nurses working in diverse teams.

Aside from giving you the confidence of knowing that you are getting help from someone whose qualifications you can see, there are a number of other benefits of this format. First, because the discussion is kept between someone who is looking for help and someone who is there to help, there is no risk of the discussion becoming hostile, as sometimes happens in less controlled discussion formats.

Second, unlike Facebook, where posts are very much ‘here today, gone today’ your questions will become part of a searchable knowledgebase that others can refer to. By working with the Vet Wound Library team we will be able to ensure the very best evidence-based support is offered alongside the opportunity for further education and telemedicine support if required.

Last but not least, both the question author and the experts can claim time spend in the Expert forums towards their annual CPD requirement. Just click ‘claim CPD' at the top of the thread and then collect a certificate from time to time in your profile.

To encourage our first raft of questions VetNurse.co.uk and The Veterinary Wound Library are offering a £25 Amazon voucher for the best four questions about veterinary wound care submitted to the Wound Management Expert Help Forum by August 20th 2020. Don’t hold back, your question can be a general one about techniques or materials, process or procedure or even a specific case.

To submit your question, login to www.vetnurse.co.uk and visit the Wound Management Expert Help Forum.

And please do share the news about this new resource amongst your fellow nurses.

Arden Grange has launched new Adult Sensitive with ocean white fish and potato, specially developed to meet the growing demand for grain free pet foods.

Arden Grange Sensitive is a nutritionally complete dry food. According to the company, it is ideally suited to dogs susceptible to digestive disorders and skin irritation. Ocean white fish provides a primary protein source that is easily metabolised for efficient bodily functioning. Completely cereal and grain free, Arden Grange Sensitive provides all breeds of dog with a hypoallergenic, wholesome diet full of natural goodness. Potato, as the carbohydrate source, ensures a sustained energy release throughout the day providing all dogs with the health and vitality they need.

Arden Grange also highlights its ‘Not Tested on Animals' guarantee, found on all its packaging, company literature and on its website. The company guarantees it has not and never will fund any invasive research projects conducted in relation to the development or refinement of pet foods manufactured or sold by Arden Grange.

Ceva Animal Health UK has announced that following the success of it's TV advertising campaign for Feliway earlier this year, which boosted sales by 30%, it'll be running the Feliway campaign again, throughout July.

Featuring 'That Purple Cat', who is liked by over 2,300 people on Facebook, Ceva says the campaign will help raise awareness of the signs of behavioural issues in cats, such as vertical scratching, and highlight the benefits of using the pheromone. The advertisement will target Feliway's key audience and will be seen by over 5 million people when it appears on channels such as Dave, E4, Gold, More4 and Yesterday.

For further information or to view the TV advertising campaign, visit www.secrettohappypets.com.

Ceva Animal Health is joining forces with Dog's Trust to carry out a radio campaign to educate owners on the importance of preparing their pets for the firework season.

The series of interviews - which will go out on both BBC and local radio on Tuesday 26 October - will cover the precautions that owners can take to help, comfort and reassure their pets while fireworks are going off, together with the benefits of using the leading veterinary behaviour products, DAP and Feliway.  Chris Lawrence from the Dog's Trust and Lucy Brett, key account manager for charities at Ceva will be interviewed during the campaign, which will advise owners to seek further information from their local veterinary practice.

For further details on the radio campaign, please contact your local Ceva Animal Health representative or call 01494 781510.

The RCVS Operational Board has announced that it will ask Council to review its decision to remove postgraduate postnominals from the Register, following the largely negative response from the profession to the idea, including a petition from Derbyshire surgeon, Victoria Lilley.

The original decision was made by Council in June 2012 as part of a package of measures aimed at developing clarity around postgraduate skills and knowledge.

The College says that the removal of postgraduate postnominals from the Register was intended to help dispel confusion amongst the public and some members of the profession about the level of various qualifications, by introducing the Advanced Practitioner status alongside the existing Specialist list.

Chairman of the Operational Board, CEO Nick Stace, said: "Over the last few days we have listened to the disquiet amongst the profession - which has included direct contact with staff and Operational Board members, a petition and discussion on fora and social media - and feel that we should address some misunderstandings but also give Council the opportunity to review the decision at its 5 June meeting.

"Many good points have been made by members of the profession and I am pleased that the Operational Board has agreed to reflect on them and consider whether there is a better way to achieve the clarity we were seeking for the public and the profession.

"The introduction of Advanced Practitioner status is a positive move for both the profession and the public, and underlines the College's commitment to lifelong learning.

"It is important to have the profession's support for the direction we are taking in advancing standards across the sector."

The College has also provided some Q&A's concerning the original decision made by Council in 2012, as follows.

1. When did this process start?
   A Specialisation Working Party was set up in spring 2010 under the chairmanship of Professor Sir Kenneth Calman to review routes to specialisation, and clarity around postgraduate qualifications. It was, in part, in response to a report produced by Professor Philip Lowe, on behalf of Defra, around veterinary expertise in food animal production, although the Working Party's remit went wider.
2. Was the profession consulted?
   The recommendations of the Working Party were sent out to consultation amongst the profession and the public in November 2011. The story featured on the front page of the November 2011 issue of RCVS News, which was sent to every member of the College, and received media coverage. We received 290 responses: 265 from individuals and 25 from organisations or groups of individuals.
3. To what has Council agreed?
   Council unanimously agreed recommendations from the Specialisation Working Party in June 2012. As well as recommending increasing scope of the Specialist list, changing the wording in the Code of Professional Conduct, and setting up the Advanced Practitioner status, it was agreed that: "The RCVS should simplify significantly the listing of postnominal letters for qualifications against Members' names in the published Register and on the RCVS website (Find a Vet). Official lists should show only the registerable degree (eg BVMS, or DVM, or BVetMed etc), followed by either MRCVS or FRCVS, and indicating whether the individual is on the list of specialists or the list of advanced practitioners. Thus: i. John Brown BVSc MRCVS ii. Jane Smith BVM&S MRCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery iii. Peter Jones, MVB, FRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Anaesthesia" This change would only have taken effect once the Advanced Practitioner list was in place and had bedded in.
4. Why was this proposal made?
   There were three key reasons for the decision in 2012: a) A qualification marks knowledge acquired at a specific point in time and is not necessarily an indicator of current knowledge and skills. Meanwhile, the status of Advanced Practitioner or Specialist will be revalidated every five years and require the individual actively to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. b) Market research has indicated that members of the public were unsure about the various postnominals and what they stood for. Veterinary surgeons are also confused about the level of different qualifications. c) It is increasingly difficult to adjudicate on which postnominals should be included in the Register, and new requests are made on a regular basis, including qualifications that are not straightforward to assess in terms of their quality or relevance. While it may seem easy to say that just RCVS postgraduate qualifications should be included, since we began phasing out the RCVS Diplomas and encouraging veterinary surgeons to take European ones, this has been less clear-cut.
5. Is the RCVS removing our qualifications?
   No. There has never been an intention to remove anyone's qualifications.
   The original decision in 2012 was not to print them in the Register or include on the RCVS website. Individuals would have been free to use them as they wished, for example, in practice marketing, on stationery etc.
6. How are veterinary nurses affected?
   There is no change to the position for veterinary nurses.
7. Is the RCVS devaluing non-modular certificates?
   Both modular (CertAVP) and non-modular certificates are valid for those wishing to apply to join the Advanced Practitioner list. Those with the non-modular certificates are asked to complete either the RCVS 'A' module in the CertAVP or other equivalent modules or 100 hours of CPD that covers the same ground, over their first five-year accreditation period.
8. Is Advanced Practitioner status just a money-making exercise for the RCVS?
   The Advanced Practitioners status is being introduced to give a clear signal to the profession and the public that a practitioner has developed their skills and knowledge in a specific area, and is committed to maintaining them. An administration fee is paid to the College to join and remain on the list, in the same way that it is for Specialists. It is not a money-making scheme and the fees are set to cover costs.
9. What's happening now?
   The RCVS Operational Board met on 24 April and considered the decision that had been made by Council in June 2012 and the subsequent unhappiness amongst the profession that had been catalysed by recently-published information about the Advanced Practitioner status. The Board felt that although the rationale behind the original 2012 decision was sound, the issues that the change aimed to address could now be tackled in other ways. It has therefore requested that Council review its decision at its 5 June meeting. A paper will be developed which outlines possible routes forward, which will be available on the RCVS website in due course.

Virbac has launched Veterinary HPM Hypoallergy, an elimination diet for cats and dogs formulated as a targeted solution for adverse food reactions and nutrient intolerances with or without concurrent digestive and skin and coat disorders.

The company says Veterinary HPM Hypoallergy contains hydrolysed salmon protein for high digestive tolerance and optimal nutritional value, and no hidden proteins in its carbohydrate sources. Extensive hydrolysis is used to ensure hypoallergenic safety whilst maintaining palatability.   

The company also claims the new diet has a higher level of animal protein and lower level of carbohydrate than other comparable products on the market for both cats and dogs, providing a clinical diet that is closest to their nutritional needs as carnivores. 

Veterinary HPM Hypoallergy is designed to complement Veterinary HPM Dermatology Support, which is already available. 

Tracey West, Nutrition Manager at Virbac said: "I am delighted to be able to introduce the much anticipated Veterinary HPM Hypoallergy to the Veterinary HPM Clinical Diets range.

"As pioneers in dermatology with more than 35 years of experience in this field, Virbac is proud to bring you, not 1 but 2, advanced nutritional solutions to help manage one of the most challenging clinical conditions faced in veterinary practice."

For more information, speak to your Virbac Territory Manager. 

VET Festival organisers have announced that American physical therapist and Master Yoga teacher Lara Heimann will be joining clinical experts from around the world on the speaker panel of VET Festival 2019.

The two-day event, now in its fifth year, aims to combine world-class CPD for the whole practice team with an outdoor ‘festival’ atmosphere.   

The organisers say that the wellbeing of veterinary professionals has always been a strong focus of VET Festival, but the inclusion of Lara Heimann in the Wellness and Practice Development lecture, takes it to a new level. Laura has developed her own vinyasa yoga style and regularly leads international retreats and workshops.

Speakers in the clinical programme will include:

• Dr Antonio Pozzi, Head of the Clinic for Small Animal Surgery at the University of Zurich, Switzerland

• Dr Susan Little, co-owner of two feline specialty practices in Ottawa, Canada, and past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners

• Dr Ronaldo da Costa, Professor in Neurology and Neurosurgery at Ohio State University, USA.

• Veterinary cardiologist Professor John E Rush.  A Diplomate of both the American Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care, Dr Rush has been a professor for 25 years at the Cummings Veterinary Medicine Centre at Tufts University in Massachusetts

• Behaviourist Dr Sarah Heath. A founding Diplomate of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine

• Soft-tissue surgeon Professor Christopher Adin. Professor Adin is Chair of the University of Florida’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences and Associate Professor of Soft Tissue.

Veterinary nurses are welcome to attend any of the lectures, in addition to those in the dedicated nursing stream. An exhibition of the latest products and services for all veterinary professionals takes place in a dedicated arena.

Nicole Cooper, event director, said: "VET Festival is unique in bringing together cutting-edge, inspirational learning, fun and the great outdoors. CPD from our world-leading speakers is delivered in a high quality and contemporary setting but, once work is done, we encourage delegates to relax and enjoy free admission for them, their friends and family to the VETFest Live Party Night."

She added: "With the wellness and wellbeing of members of our profession increasingly in the spotlight, we’re delighted to welcome Lara Heimann for 2019 and hope that she will help our delegates to develop practical solutions to living healthier and more balanced lives."

Supported by MWI Animal Health, VET Festival also offers a 'Family Hub', a place where children can play whilst their parents listen to lectures. 

Alan White Group Commercial Director at MWI Animal Health, said: "Balancing work and family life can often be a juggling act, particularly in the veterinary profession where time is in short supply. This can sometimes compromise the work-life balance of vets, nurses and other team members. At VET Festival, the 'Family Hub' means that there is no compromise and that both our attendees and their families can get the best out of their time with us."

You can buy tickets here: https://www.vetfestival.co.uk/delegate-info/ticket-information

Pfizer Animal Health is reminding horse owners of the importance of treating encysted small redworm larvae this autumn.

According to the company, these hidden, dormant parasites can account for up to 90% of the redworm burden in a horse (1). Furthermore, encysted small redworm larvae won't show up in a faecal egg count (FEC). Even if a horse has shown a negative or low count it could still be harbouring several million harmful larvae, hidden within the gut wall (2)

Encysted small redworm are a potential time bomb, with the ability to survive inside a horse for up to two years. They usually 'wake-up' in the late winter or early spring, developing and emerging from the gut wall all at the same time. Such a sudden mass emergence can cause a disease syndrome known as 'larval cyathostominosis', causing diarrhoea and colic with up to a 50% mortality rate (2). Treating encysted small redworm successfully in the late autumn or early winter is vitally important in order to prevent this serious risk.

Pfizer says that Moxidectin, the key ingredient of EQUEST, is recognised as the only single dose treatment for encysted small redworm. It has been shown to kill the larvae in-situ, without resulting in severe inflammation of the gut wall that other multi-dose treatments may cause (3). In addition, Moxidectin is licensed for persistent activity against small redworm over two weeks, killing larvae ingested as the horse grazes for up to two weeks after treatment.

Ben Gaskell, Pfizer's veterinary advisor said: "A responsible and sustainable worming programme involves good pasture management, regular diagnostic tests and targeted worming, carefully planned using specialist advice. However, it is also vital to remember the danger of encysted small redworm. Even if a horse's FEC is clear, there could still be a significant encysted small redworm burden that must be treated properly every year in late autumn / early winter."

1) Bairden K. et al (2001) Veterinary Record 148, 138-141
2) Dowdall S.M.J. et al (2002) Veterinary Parasitology 106, 225‑242
3) Steinbach T. et al (2006) Veterinary Parasitology 139, 115‑131

Virbac has launched a reformulated dental chew for dogs.

The company says the new VeggieDent chew is thicker in order to prolong the chewing time, but retain its palatability and characteristic Z shape, designed to facilitate prehension and enhance the mechanical cleaning action.

Product manager Chris Geddes MRCVS says the longer chewing time means increased contact between teeth and chew: "Optimum plaque removal is achieved by physical abrasion of the tooth surface during chewing. What is important is both the nature and the duration of contact between tooth and chew. These chews have been reformulated to optimise both of these factors.

"Whilst regular tooth brushing is always the gold standard, the chews provide enhanced plaque removal above brushing alone, and are particularly suited for those difficult cases where brushing is not possible".

"Many dogs are offered treats or chews during the day with limited nutritional or health benefits. VeggieDent chews are highly palatable, natural, and meat-free. They help to sustain tooth and gum health and are a great way to encourage the provision of treats that have a health benefit".

The chews are available in packs of 15 in sizes suitable for small, medium and large dogs and can be obtained from your veterinary wholesaler. Look out for a relaunch promotion coming soon. For further information please speak to your Virbac Territory Manager, phone Virbac on 01359 243243, or email enquiries@virbac.co.uk.

Pfizer Animal Health and Central Veterinary Services are collaborating in a new venture to create a unified National Benchmarking Database open to all veterinary practices.

In what it says is an unprecedented move, Pfizer will integrate 15 years' worth of data from its Performance Index practice benchmarking service (formerly known as the Fort Dodge Index) with that of the Central Veterinary Services' Management Analysis Indices (MAI). These two benchmarking services have been in co-existence for a number of years, each using different databases. Combining the data from the participating practices within each benchmarking service will create a database of almost 300 practices, representing in excess of 10% of all UK companion animal and mixed practices. This, says the company, will provide a more accurate and relevant benchmarking of UK companion animal practice performance. 

The first combined reports from this new National Database will be available in May providing a comprehensive analysis for the first quarter of 2012. For Performance Index practices, this will be available via a new web portal.

Participating practices will continue to access their reports and services independently via their respective portals for PI and MAI, but will benefit from the larger database providing greater accuracy, granularity and relevance of exactly who a practice chooses to benchmark itself against. This, in turn, should provide all participating practices with an even better understanding of both their critical success factors and where there are clear opportunities for growth. Pfizer says that as ever, practice data confidentiality will be guaranteed for all subscribing practices.

Ned Flaxman, Director Business Innovation, at Pfizer Animal Health said: "We have recognised that what veterinary practices really need is to be far more specific about who they benchmark themselves against. There is little relevance to a rural mixed practice in the Lake District employing 3 full time vets (FTVE) benchmarking themselves against a large 5 FTVE companion animal practice in the centre of Manchester - you are comparing apples and pears! My vision for creating the National Database was really to increase the business benefits of practice benchmarking and enable practices to compare apples with apples. With the new system, the large urban practice in Manchester should be able to compare its performance against other urban practices in the North of England employing 5FTVE!

"To ensure practices have accurate and relevant data from which to make informed decisions to grow and thrive in these turbulent conditions, the creation of a single national benchmarking database is the only sensible solution. Although we are effectively levelling the playing field by enabling other veterinary suppliers to offer benchmarking, we believe it is the right thing to do for veterinary practices and the market as a whole. For Pfizer Animal Health, the needs of our veterinary clients are the driving force for our business decisions, veterinary support services and product development."

Martin Barrow, Managing Director of Central Veterinary Services said: "We fully agree that a single benchmarking database is the right solution for the market. The creation of this National Database, open to all practices irrespective of their supplier, will provide the participants with unique tools to give them powerful insights for their practices' future continued success.

"MAI and the Performance Index have competed with each other for years and provided a very useful added value service for their respective subscribers but when we were approached to integrate the two databases, we immediately saw the bigger picture and recognised the significant benefits this could bring to a wider audience of UK veterinary practices.

"The national database uses open standards for data collection and data is accepted from all practices irrespective of which practice management system they use. We believe it is the right thing to do for veterinary practices and brings significant benefits to the whole veterinary profession."

Practices are urged to subscribe to the PI or MAI services either independently or through one of their practice development partners. Although run from a common database each service will continue to be provided with its own unique features. 

For further information on Performance Index practices should contact their Pfizer Account Manager, email Pfizer at Vetsupportplusuk@pfizer.com.

For further information on MAI, practices should contact Central Veterinary Services at mai@centralvet.com, or telephone 01359 245310

A new pilot study on the effects of rider weight on equine performance, presented at the National Equine Forum this week, has shown that high rider: horse bodyweight ratios can induce temporary lameness and discomfort.

The researchers say that ultimately the study should help with the development of guidelines to help all riders assess if they are the right weight for the horse or pony they intend to ride, to enhance both equine welfare and rider comfort and enjoyment.¹

Dr Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Animal Health Trust’s Centre for Equine Studies, Newmarket, who led the study said: "While all the horses finished the study moving as well as when they started, the results showed a substantial temporary effect of rider weight as a proportion of horse weight.

"The results do not mean that heavy riders should not ride but suggest that if they do they should ride a horse of appropriate size and fitness, with a saddle that is correctly fitted for both horse and rider.

"We must remember that this is a pilot study: further work is required to determine if horse fitness, adaptation to heavier weights and more ideal saddle fit will increase the weight an individual horse can carry. This should help us further in our quest to develop guidelines for optimum rider: horse bodyweight ratios."

As the average weight and height of humans continues to increase there is growing debate about relative rider-horse sizes, with riding school horses epitomising the variety of weights of rider that a single horse may be exposed to. 

Numerous inter-related aspects are involved with the horse and rider combination including the age of the horse, its fitness and muscle development, the length of its back and the presence or absence of lameness. The rider’s skill, fitness, balance and coordination are important factors, as is the fit of the saddle to both the horse and rider. The type, speed and duration of work and the terrain over which the horse is ridden must also be considered.²

To date little research has been conducted on the effects of rider weight on equine welfare and performance. To address the shortfall World Horse Welfare, the Saddle Research Trust, the British Equestrian Federation and a number of other organisations helped to fund a pilot study last summer, the results of which have now been analysed.

The influence of rider to horse bodyweight ratios on equine gait and behaviour: a pilot study¹ assessed gait and behavioural responses in six horses ridden by four riders of similar ability but different sizes. The riders were all weighed in their riding kit and were subsequently categorised as being light, moderate, heavy and very heavy.  Their body mass index (BMI) was also calculated.

Each rider rode each horse in its usual tack and performed a set pattern of exercises comprising mainly trot and canter. Gait, horse behaviour, forces under the saddle, the response to palpation of the back, alterations in back dimensions in response to exercise, heart and respiratory rates, salivary cortisol levels and blink rate were assessed for each combination.

The riding tests for the heavy and very heavy riders were all abandoned, predominantly because of temporary horse lameness. This was likely to have been induced by bodyweight rather than BMI, given that the heavy and moderate riders had similar BMIs, both being classified as overweight, yet only one of the moderate rider’s tests had to be abandoned. An ethogram, developed by Dr Dyson specifically to assess behavioural markers which may reflect pain in ridden horses³, was applied. The scores which may reflect pain were significantly higher in the horses when ridden by the heavy and very heavy riders.

The study also raised the issue of rider height and saddle fit. The owner of one of the test horses had a similar bodyweight: horse bodyweight ratio to the heavy rider and was of similar weight, but significantly different in height (157.0 and 185.5 cm, respectively). This large difference in height has major potential implications for saddle fit for the rider and consequently the rider’s position and weight distribution. The taller rider sat on the back of the cantle, overloading the back of the saddle and making it more difficult to ride in balance, with the heel being in front of a vertical line between the shoulder and ‘hip’.

Roly Owers, Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare, said: "These pilot results are certainly not surprising but are very significant in adding vital evidence to inform an appropriate rider: horse weight ratio. It is common sense that rider weight impacts equine welfare however many might not fully understand or recognise this. What is desperately needed is basic guidance to help riders identify a horse or pony that is right for them and this research is a vital step in that direction.”

The study was generously supported by World Horse Welfare, the Saddle Research Trust, Frank Dyson, British Equestrian Federation, British Horse Society, Pony Club, Polocross, The Showing Council, The Showing Register, The Society of Master Saddlers, Riding for the Disabled, British Eventing, British Dressage, the British Horse Foundation, the Worshipful Company of Saddlers and Endurance GB.

References

1. The influence of rider to horse bodyweight ratios on equine gait and behaviour: a pilot study Dyson, S, Ellis, A, Guire, R, Douglas, J, Bondi, A, Harris, P.
2. Clayton, H, Dyson, S, Harris, P, Bondi, A. Horses, saddles and riders: Applying the science. Equine Vet Educ 2015; doi:1111/eve.12407
3. Dyson, S, Berger, J, Ellis, A, Mullard, J. Development of an ethogram for a pain scoring system in ridden horses and its application to determine the presence of musculoskeletal pain. J Vet Behav: Clin Appl Res doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2017.10.008