Webinar: Promoting positive equine wellbeing and behaviour through diet

Wednesday 18th January at 7pm will see us exploring the links between a horse’s diet and their behaviour in our next popular, enjoyable and informative Welfare Wednesday Webinar. In a change to the usual format this webinar will be chaired by Lucy Grieve, BEVA (British Equestrian Veterinary Association) Veterinary Projects Officer, as we look at how we can promote positive behaviour and welfare through day-to-day feeding practices.

Behavioural issues are widely reported in all areas of the equine industry and solutions often involve a holistic approach: utilising the skills and expertise of professionals such as vets, nutritionists and behaviourists. Lucy is joined by certified animal and equine behaviourists Rosa Verwijs and Justine Harrison to explore this further.

The evening will include a discussion on the fundamentals of equine nutrition, an essential topic relevant for all horse owners. We will focus on the types of forage suitable for horses, examining the link between diet and behaviour and providing strategies on how to promote positive behaviour through provision of forage and suitable diet planning. With their extensive industry experience, Rosa and Justine will be on hand to answer your behaviour and nutrition related queries at the end of the webinar.

By registering for the webinars through Zoom, you will be able to take part in the various polls, ask questions during the Q&A and enjoy an interactive experience.

The webinars are free to attend and if you are unable to attend via Zoom they can be viewed as a Facebook Live session. If you have missed any of the previous webinars – which have tackled subjects as fascinating and diverse as keeping horses fit, weight management, euthanasia, biosecurity, travelling, and cutting costs not care – they are all available to watch on our YouTube channel.

More about the presenters: Lucy Grieve worked for 15 years as an equine vet in Newmarket, caring for all types of horses from happy hackers to elite racehorses. In 2012 she became a member of the British Equestrian Veterinary Association (BEVA) Council, where she chaired the Ethics and Welfare Committee and sat on the Equestrian Sports Committee. In 2020 Lucy was elected as President of BEVA and has since moved into a permanent role for them as Veterinary Projects Officer.

Rosa Verwijs is a Senior Lecturer in Equine Behaviour and Nutrition at Writtle University College in Essex, where she leads the BSc (Hons) Equine Behavioural Science course. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and conducts research into equine behaviour, welfare and nutrition and has developed several new university courses. Rosa is a Certified Horse Behaviour Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants and is also registered with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council as an Accredited Animal Behaviourist. In her practice and teaching she promotes the use of LIMA (least intrusive, minimally aversive) compliant and science-based behaviour modification methods.

Justine Harrison is a Certified Horse Behaviour Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (IAABC). She is also the organisation’s UK Co-Chair and a member of the Application Review Team. Justine is also registered as an Accredited Animal Behaviourist with the Animal Behaviour & Training Council and one of the organisation’s trustees. Justine is the founder of Understand Horses – an online education platform. She lectures on the Equine Behavioural Science BSc degree course at Writtle University College and teaches as a visiting lecturer at several UK universities and colleges. She acts as an expert consultant in legal disputes and court cases involving equine behaviour. She holds lectures and workshops around the UK and regularly contributes to a wide variety of international publications.