National Equine Forum comes of age.

The Secretary of State at Defra, Owen Paterson, announced plans for Europe-wide testing of meat for horse DNA and improvements to the horse passport system during the 21st National Equine Forum. Beyond these plans, discussions were held revolving around the importance of the equestrian industry to the economy, equine infectious disease control, and new initiatives in horse care and youth involvement.

Emphasis on Equestrian Industry

• An important focus during the National Equine Forum was the significant role the equestrian industry plays in rural growth. As such, the industry has to be supported by providing assistance when necessary and avoiding unnecessary interference.
• A highlighted concern was the practice of substituting beef with horsemeat, which has severely impacted consumer trust in meat products. To combat this, there are plans to kick-start a Europe-wide scheme for horse DNA testing.

Improvements in Horse Passport System

• For the horse passport system, Paterson noted that no plans are in place to move to a single passport-issuing body. Instead, there should be a collective effort from all passport-issuing organizations to improve the current system. This includes the introduction of new quality standards to reduce tampering.

Equine Infectious Disease Control

• When it comes to equine infectious disease control, discussions pointed towards continuous emergence of diseases, even with the development of best practices from lessons learned during previous outbreaks.
• A joint working group was reported to have developed an action plan for identifying and eradicating African horse sickness, if found in the UK horse population. Ongoing work in this area includes development of a vaccine.

New Initiatives in Horse Care and Youth Involvement

• The Medical section of the forum witnessed the disclosure of new initiatives. These include the Equine Disease Coalition’s horse care checklist, aimed to set out clearly the practical necessities of good horse care. Topics incorporated into the checklist ranges from nutrition to safety, and ultimately improving the horse’s overall health.
• The other initiative announced was the first National Equine Youth Forum to be hosted by the Riding for the Disabled Association which aims to inspire young aspirants in the equestrian field.