Equine Science at Edinburgh

29/05/2026

Today was the last day of clinical rotations for our final year students! It's a big day for them: most have dreamed of being vets since childhood, beaten the odds to be offered a place at vet school, studied hefty scientific concepts, learned how to handle unfamiliar species, passed dozens of exams and practicals, and, most importantly, developed their abilities to care for their patients, clients and colleagues. We couldn't be more proud as they leave the University of Edinburgh to take their considerable skills to the world.
A MASSIVE thank you goes out to each and every one of our equine clients who have made this possible by welcoming our students and giving them the time and space to find their confidence. We cannot overstate how appreciative we are. You may, one day, reap the rewards when one of our graduates helps to look after the horses in your future.
For now, it's goodbye from Crea, Bella, Hugh, Libby, Lara, Charlotte, Hattie, Jack, Scarlett, Benjy, James and Ellie! We wish you all good luck!

26/05/2026

Another one for the horsepeople! Our wonderful student Leyi is investigating horse owner perceptions regarding dental pain in horses for her dissertation - this work will help us understand how to support owners in identifying potential problems early, to improve equine health and welfare. If you can please spare 10 minutes to take this anonymous survey and/or share it, we would be very grateful! Thank you!

Link to survey: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=sAafLmkWiUWHiRCgaTTcYfibQfC0_dhNkuBgFbCstj9UOU9TVDU2NEVUTDIwRVI1WlZONk80Wlg4SS4u

Equine Science at Edinburgh
Animal Welfare Centre
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
Dick Vet Equine

22/05/2026

20/05/2026

You ask your horse to move forward, but they plant their feet.

You ask for canter, and they rush, pigroot or pin their ears.

You ask them to stand quietly, but they paw, call out, fidget or pull back.

It can be easy in those moments to say the horse is being naughty, lazy or stubborn. But unwanted behaviour is information. Labelling a horse as naughty, lazy or stubborn can stop us from understanding the cause.

The Pony Club Australia Horse Welfare Policy is clear that using terms like naughty, lazy or stubborn to describe unwanted behaviour demonstrates a lack of understanding.

That does not mean people are trying to do the wrong thing. These words are common in horse communities, and many of us have heard them used for years. But they can lead us down the wrong path.

When we call a horse stubborn, we may stop asking whether the horse is confused, worried, uncomfortable, in pain, tired, overwhelmed, or responding to unclear aids.

The Policy reminds us that horses need clear and consistent aids, and consistent expectations for their behaviour. When aids are unclear, or expectations change from one day to the next, the horse’s world can become confusing and worrying.

Good horsemanship means looking deeper. Before we label the horse, we need to ask:

❓ What is the horse trying to tell us?

❓ What part might our timing, pressure, training, handling or environment be playing?

❓ How can we make the right behaviour easier for the horse to understand?

Understanding the cause helps us support the horse, improve safety, and build better partnerships.

20/05/2026

Empathy and compassion in One Health: Perspectives across disciplines, species and ecosystems

Dovecot Studios, 28-29 Sept 2026
£175

This conference will host international leaders and experts from the Global Empathy in Healthcare Network, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh’s Global Compassion and Empathy Initiative. This is the inaugural event of the Edinburgh Empathy Place, an initiative of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, and forms part of the Edinburgh Medical School 300 celebrations.

For more information and to book a place, visit our website: https://edin.ac/3Oahj3B

20/05/2026

We have a strong line-up of veterinary surgeons and nurses speaking at the Vet Trust Conference on 2-3 June. The highly skilled group will be sharing their knowledge and expertise across the equine, practice and nurse streams at the two-day event in Stirling.

Pictured left to right, starting from top row
• Dr Claudia Hartley will deliver two talks on ocular changes in horses
• Dr John Keen will present ‘Equine cardiology – when do I worry?’
• Dr Rob Kelly will speak about how practices can support the development of new graduates
• Fiona McDowall RVN will deliver a talk called ‘Neurodiversity awareness and the workplace’
• Jennifer Marshall RVN will present ‘Using capnography to make sustainable decisions'
• Lindsey Ashburner RVN will give a presentation on ‘RECOVER-guided basic life support'.

See the programme for further details: https://vettrust.co.uk/2026-conference/

13/05/2026

Our Programme Director will be doing a session on the equine science programme, so do follow the link to sign up if you want to hear more about studying with us.

There's still time to sign up for the Postgraduate Online Learning Open Days on 19-21 May.

Discover how our online study packages can be tailored to your interests and fit around busy lives.

The School offers subjects from advanced clinical practice to wildlife forensics. Browse the schedule by choosing "veterinary medicine" to see all the subjects we offer.

Sign up: https://edin.ac/4tn1vcK

13/05/2026

Picture this: you’re at a rally, muster, competition or clinic. Horses are tied to floats and rails while people catch up, walk courses, gear up, spectate, or help elsewhere around the grounds. It’s a very normal part of horse sports.

Some horses are perfectly happy to stand quietly tied up all day. That’s often a combination of temperament, training, experience, and good preparation.

But others genuinely struggle with being tied for long periods, particularly in busy or unfamiliar environments. They may become anxious, agitated, hypervigilant, sweaty, vocal, fidgety, or escalate into pawing, weaving, pulling back, or panic behaviours.

This is why Pony Club Australia’s Horse Welfare Policy states that members must not:

“Leave a stressed horse tied (whether to a float or a fixed rail) without constant supervision and attempts to reduce the stress.”

In other words, it is not appropriate to tie up a horse, leave them in a state of escalating stress, and walk away in the hope they will eventually “get over it” or simply stop reacting.

Horses are flight animals, and movement is one of their natural coping strategies. When tied, they lose the ability to move away from things they may be struggling to cope with, including isolation, noise, unfamiliar surroundings, or mounting pressure and arousal.

Without intervention, stress can continue to build and escalate into panic, injury, or conflict behaviour.

Good horsemanship means recognising when a horse is no longer coping and intervening early.

Attempts to reduce stress may include:
• staying with the horse and monitoring them closely
• moving the horse to a quieter or less overwhelming area
• tying the horse near a calm companion horse where appropriate
• using calm, predictable handling rather than punishment or force
• giving the horse a break from tying if stress continues to build
• untieing the horse and finding somewhere they can settle more comfortably, such as a yard if one is available
• asking a parent, friend, or another trusted person to help supervise the horse if you are unable to stay with them yourself

In some cases, recognising that the horse is struggling and changing the plan is the most appropriate response.

Active supervision means continuing to monitor the horse’s behaviour and welfare while they are tied up, and responding appropriately if they begin to show signs of stress.

12/05/2026

TAKING ACTION ON...STRESS 🤯

Stress can build quickly in yard life, especially when long hours, pressure, and responsibility start to pile up.

1. Take five minutes between jobs to reset and breathe.
2. Focus on one task at a time instead of the whole day ahead.
3. Don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed to ask for help.

Need more support? The BGA Grooms Minds Hub has resources, advice, and support designed specifically for grooms. britishgrooms.org.uk/member-services/grooms-minds

There are also some great resources available via the Mental Health Foundation

11/05/2026

🧠It’s Mental Health Awareness Week and this year’s theme is ‘taking action’. This is a subject close to the BGA’s heart as it was actually our founder – Lucy Katan MBE’s own struggle with bullying and the effect it had on her mental health that prompted her to form the British Grooms Association.

⏩️FIND OUT MORE: britishgrooms.org.uk/news/888/taking-action-on-equestrian-mental-health

At the time Lucy had nowhere to turn. But now every groom does. The BGA is here to support our members with mental health support, employment information, essential online tools, career support and much, much more.

This week we’ll be sharing quick-wins and simple actions that grooms can use to take care of their mental health.

BGA members can also access our online Grooms Mind Hub. Head to our website and the link is under member services. 📲

👏 Mental Health Foundation