At BEVA we are busy getting ready for BEVA Congress 2020 (more on page 10), launching new projects to help you carry out your day job, and working on initiatives that help improve equine welfare. Here’s a quick summary of just some of what we are working on at the minute...
Our equine obesity pilot project has launched
The beginning of 2020 saw the launch of our pilot project which aims to help tackle equine obesity.
The scheme uses a traffic light colour system on vaccination reminder stickers that vets can place on the front of passports at each vaccination appointment. Ten practices have been signed up to the pilot and we will be reviewing the results of the activity in the summer.
Encouraging vet students to go into equine practice with free memberships
Currently fewer than one in ten veterinary students opt to go into equine practice and anecdotally we know that some students can feel very daunted by equine practice, especially if they don’t come from a horsey background.
We’re taking steps to raise the profile of equine practice. This includes launching free online student membership to all undergraduate vet students. Free student membership has been made possible by our partners Baker McVeigh, CVS Group, IVC, Newmarket Equine Hospital, Rossdales, Vet Partners and XLVets.
And, revamping the BEVA Vet School Tours, which for over ten years have seen us visit every vet school in the UK (and a few overseas) to provide an evening lecture. This year we changed it and took a panel of equine vets on tour to share their experiences of equine practice and give students advice about going into practice.
Supporting our colleagues Down Under
You may have heard that earlier this year we joined up with the BSAVA to support our colleagues Down Under by making a joint donation of £7,000 to the Australian Veterinary Association Benevolent Fund to help assist the work of vets who have been working around the clock to minimise suffering and rebuild.
We also made a journal article free to access for 12 weeks that discussed treating injuries in horses caused by previous Australian wildfires.
Read Holly Lewis, EVA President Elect’s personal experience of the fires here.
We’ll be developing new training for horse handling soon
Over the last few years we’ve run a number of initiatives and campaigns to help reduce the risks involved in working in equine practice.
We’re currently looking at expanding this by launching horse handling training for equine vets and vet students to make it safer when treating horses but also to help make vet visits less traumatic for the horse.
A standardised protocol for pre-sales scoping
The BEVA Equestrian Sports Committee’s new horseracing sub-committee are currently developing an international standardisation of the use of pre-sale video endoscopy at Thoroughbred auctions.
Event Attendance Toolkit
Supporting young vets in the equine profession is key to developing a strong and positive future and we know that attending an equestrian event for the first time can be daunting. The BEVA Clinical Practice committee will be developing a Toolkit to help give direction and support when found in this situation.
Equine Dentistry
BEVA BVDA Accreditation Exam in Equine Dentistry consists of many parts with the final practical exam due to take place this March. Administered and run by BAEDT the exam aims to maintain a high standard of equine dentistry, encouraging continuing professional development and to abide by the association code of conduct. Good luck to all the candidates.