In this webinar, held in conjunction with the University of Nottingham on Wednesday June 23 at 7pm, Professor Madeleine Campbell will take an in-depth look at how some of the sporting demands we make on our horses could affect their mental wellbeing. Professor Campbell holds a number of senior positions in British universities and veterinary organisations relating to animal welfare and ethics, and she is uniquely placed to guide us through the maze of ethical questions that confronts all of us who keep horses.
Among other topics in this second in our series of webinars that focuses on equine mental wellbeing, Professor Campbell will provide her perspective on:
- The ethics of riding horses
- Ethical enhancement of equine performance
- When to call it a day
Following her presentation, Professor Campbell will be joined by Alex Hua Tian, an extremely experienced three-day event rider, and John Burns, one of World Horse Welfare’s Field Officers who has extensive experience of equestrian competition, to discuss practical issues surrounding the ethics of horse sport. This will lead into a Q and A session in which you will have the chance to “ask the experts” any questions you may have on this fundamental topic.
By registering for the webinar through Zoom, you will be able to take part in the various polls, ask questions during the Q and A and enjoy an interactive experience. If you are keen to be part of the conversation, then please join.
The webinars, which run monthly during the summer, 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 and travelling – they are all available to watch on the World Horse Welfare YouTube channel.
More about the presenters
Madeleine Campbell is Professor of Veterinary Ethics at Nottingham Vet School and Senior Lecturer in Ethics and Human: Animal Interactions at the RVC. She currently chairs the BVA‘s Ethics and Welfare Advisory Panel and is a Past President of the British Equine Veterinary Society. As an equine vet, horse owner and breeder, Madeleine has a particular research interest in equestrian ethics and has recently been funded by World Horse Welfare to undertake research in that area and to develop an ethical framework for the use of horses in sport.
Alex Hua Tian first came to public attention during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the age of 18, where he was both the youngest ever eventing competitor, and China’s first representative. Since then, through his results and his activities off the field of play, Alex has become the face of the rapid growth of Chinese equestrianism. Alex has won two individual medals at the Asian Games, finished 8th individually at the 2016 Rio Olympics with his long-term partner, Don Geniro, and is the only person to have won two FEI Awards: in 2009 he won the FEI Rising Star Award and, in 2019, the FEI awarded him their Solidarity Award for co-founding The Horsemanship Movement. Recently, Alex spearheaded the Chinese eventing team in its first ever qualification for an Olympics at Tokyo 2020.
John Burns has been a World Horse Welfare Field Officer since 2009. He is also the Director of Welfare and Breeding for HorseScotland, which is the national organisation for all equestrian sports and activity in Scotland, and he champions equine welfare at the level of the Scottish Parliament through his involvement in two cross-party groups: Animal Welfare and Scottish Horseracing and Bloodstock Industries. In addition, he is Chairman of the Scottish arm of the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC). John has a strong background in equestrianism, having grown up breeding and showing Clydesdales and riding in Pony Club and now being involved – through his children – in many disciplines, from tetrathlon through to FEI eventing. This diverse experience stands him in good stead in his many roles in the equine industry.
University of Nottingham. The University of Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, based in the UK, offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in veterinary medicine, science, and research. A fundamental aspect of undergraduate teaching is an evidence-based approach to equine care and management, with a particular emphasis on handling techniques that promote good equine mental wellbeing in a veterinary environment.
