The register has two categories; Equine Nutritionist and Equine Feed Adviser. There is some overlap in the roles performed by people in the categories as the role of equine nutritionist may also, but not necessarily include, giving feed advice to horse owners (Refer to appendix 1). Feed Advisers may hold higher level qualifications and be very experienced and the ENFAR register recognises this with fellowships for all categories – neither category should be viewed as superior or inferior – they are simply different. The following information highlights some key differences between the categories.

An Equine Nutritionist is a person who is principally engaged in advising others on matters of feeding and nutrition and their impacts on equine health, behaviour and welfare. This may be in an academic, research, commercial or industrial environment or in a self-employed capacity. It is essential for equine nutritionists to have a higher level of qualification in a relevant subject.

Those just beginning their career as equine nutritionists will be recognised in a category called early career equine nutritionists. There will be additional support available to help them develop their skills and to ensure they are operating within their own individual limitations. An individual may choose to delay joining the register until they have gained sufficient experience to join as an equine nutritionist rather than an early career nutritionist.

A Feed Adviser is someone who is giving advice on equine feeding and nutrition but it may not be their primary activity (they may be a vet or equine physio); OR they may not meet the specific qualification and depth of scientific knowledge requirements to be an Equine Nutritionist (see below in entry criteria) but may have a high level of practical experience and other qualifications. A sub-category Retail Feed Advisers exists for those working in feed stores and merchants who are often a key source of advice and information for horse owners.

It is not possible to be listed in more than one category. Those applying to be on the register should give careful consideration to which category best reflects their role; there is more detail on this in the entry criteria section.

The BETA ENFAR Registrations committee does not determine which of a company’s employees appear on the register but they will consider carefully whether each applicant meets the criteria for a particular category. It is the responsibility of the company and the individuals themselves to ensure they comply with the relevant criteria and are able to complete the relevant CPD requirement annually.

Entry Criteria

Everyone on the register must work for a company who is a BETA member or be an associate member of BETA in their own right. Declarations of commercial interests are also required for those declaring themselves to be independent. Anyone receiving more than 50% of their annual income from one company and/or spending more than 50% of their time working for one company needs to declare this to be the case. The identity of that company does not need to be declared.

Equine Nutritionist Criteria

For a member to be listed as an Equine Nutritionist they require a minimum of a degree qualification and more than 3 years working in a role related to equine nutrition.

Qualifications: minimum of a relevant degree qualification such as BSc in Animal Science, Equine Science, Equine Management, Veterinary or Bio-Veterinary Science or Animal Nutrition.

Relevant activities

The following are the tasks that equine nutritionists would spend their time doing:

advising horse owners in-person such as on yards or at shows or events
advising horse owners remotely via telephone such as on feed helplines or via email and social media channels

And, in contrast to Feed Advisers, at least one or more of the following activities are a significant and consistent feature of the role of nutritionist

writing technical content
product development
supply chain management
quality control
accreditation and legislative compliance
lecturing in academic institutions
independent consultancy
scientific research and development other than for your own academic qualifications

Individuals should only apply to appear on the register as an equine nutritionist if they can demonstrate they possess a good depth and breadth of scientific knowledge by providing evidence of the following:

A good knowledge and understanding of the science of equine nutrition.
A good understanding of how to apply the scientific principles of nutrition for the promotion of health and well-being of horses.
A good knowledge and understanding of feed ingredients and the ingredient supply chain.
A practical understanding of rules and regulations relevant to feeds, feed ingredients and feeding horses including product claims and labelling.
Knowledge and understanding of the social and behavioural aspects impacting those feeding horses. This would include an understanding of factors that impact upon horse owners such as social expectations of what makes a responsible horse owner, stigmas attached to owning an underweight animal and barriers to the implementation of good practices.
The ability to apply scientific knowledge to be able to advise appropriately and articulate key points or findings relevant to the audience or interested parties.

Early Career Equine Nutritionist Criteria

An early career equine nutritionist is required to have the same level of qualification as a nutritionist but who has less than 3 years’ experience working specifically as an equine nutritionist. It is envisaged their role is likely to encompass the same general activities as an equine nutritionist although potentially with a lower level of responsibility. However, they may be the only person working as a nutritionist in a small business or as an independent nutritionist. They may also be someone who has experience working as a nutritionist with other species hence the name of ‘early-career’ rather than ‘junior’ equine nutritionist.

The register’s aim is to highlight that experience is as important as qualifications and the early career category reflects this. Nutritionists in this category will have access to mentors and support from experienced nutritionists on the register. A key element of the code of best practice is the ability to recognise and work within one’s own capabilities and it is expected that early-career nutritionists will respect this by ensuring they seek advice and guidance when needed.

Feed Adviser Criteria

Feed Advisers are those giving advice on feeding horses as part of their work but it is either not their primary activity and/or they do not meet the qualification requirements and/or depth of scientific knowledge criteria to be an equine nutritionist. The following are examples of feed adviser roles: an equine weighing service provider, an allied-professional with an interest in equine nutrition and feeding, or someone employed by a feed company in a sales role whose performance is measured using sales targets.

Those working in feed retail environments have their own sub-category: Retail Feed Advisers. It is recognised that these roles are frequently asked for advice by horse owners and the aim of the register is to showcase those individuals who provide a good level of advice and have a high standard of communication skills. The inclusion of compulsory CPD aims to ensure feed advisers give up to date, evidence-based advice when making feeding recommendations.

Application Process

All members joining the register will be required to submit their CV and complete on-line assessments. This is to ensure a minimum standard of knowledge for the register. The topics to be assessed are listed below:

Nutritionists

The following can be completed on a modular basis:

Feed safety and prohibited substances
Regulatory requirements including labelling and claims
Nutritional Knowledge & Skills

This will include questions, case studies and an evaluation of an abstract from a scientific paper. The case is an opportunity to share knowledge of feeding and nutrition as well as demonstrating an ability to advise professionally. The abstract evaluation is an opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking and evaluation skills.

Feed Advisers

Both Feed Advisers and Retail Feed Advisers will complete 1 and 2 which can be undertaken on a modular basis:

Feed safety, feed hygiene and prohibited substances – multiple choice format
Advising customers and making appropriate recommendations including: calculating costs per day, recognising illegal claims, understanding of BETA’s and other organisation’s approval marks

Retail Feed Advisers will complete 3a and all other Feed Advisers will complete 3b which will consist of on-line nutritional knowledge questions as well as a mini-interview.

3.a. Retailer Nutrition Questions – these questions require feed advisers to demonstrate their ability to select appropriate feeds and explain the reasons for their recommendation.

3.b. Feed Adviser Nutritional Knowledge – these questions enable the applicant to demonstrate their practical knowledge and ability to give good feeding advice. They should also demonstrate they understand their remit and how they would collaborate with other professionals.

Mini-Interview – Feed Advisers (but not Retailer Feed Advisers) will participate in a 20 minute mini-interview to demonstrate their communication skills. This will involve a short role-play scenario.

ENFAR Fellowship

The ENFAR Fellowship exists to acknowledge and recognise specialist expertise, length of service and additional qualifications. Both Equine Nutritionists and Feed Advisers are eligible to be ENFAR fellows. Fellowship nominations may be made to the BETA office for consideration by the BETA ENFAR Registrations committee. For more information please contact the BETA office.

Fee Structure

Administration registration fee – £90+ VAT this charge is payable at the start of the application process and is non-refundable.

On successful completion of the application process the annual fee is then payable:

Feed Adviser £75 +VAT per annum, Nutritionist £150 +VAT per annum

The annual fee will include the provision of specific CPD events organised by BETA. Please note that members on the register will need to complete other CPD which may need to be paid for.

Failure to attend and record CPD each year, pay fees or to operate according to the ENFAR Code of Best Practice may result in an individual being removed from the register.

CPD Requirements

It is the responsibility of all of those on the register to record and submit their own CPD. A form to record CPD is available as a download from the BETA website. This must be submitted to BETA annually. Failure to submit may result in removal from the register. Any situations of extenuating circumstances resulting in a failure to complete CPD should be notified to BETA in writing for consideration by the Registrations Committee.

Equine Nutritionists

There is a requirement for 30 hours of CPD per year to include self-reflection.

It is compulsory for at least one third of the annual CPD completed to be content provided by BETA. BETA will provide CPD through the annual feed conference, webinars and via the ENFAR website. Equine Nutritionists will be required to participate in other CPD in addition to that organised by BETA.

Examples of CPD

Attendance at conferences and reflecting on what has been learnt and how that could be applied
Demonstrating awareness of latest research having read a recently published paper and summarised key points
Assisting with a mentoring session for BETA ENFAR early career nutritionists
Running an internal technical training session with defined learning outcomes

Early Career Equine Nutritionists

There is a requirement for 40 hours of CPD per year to include self-reflection. The hours required are intentionally greater than for Equine Nutritionists to include more time to reflect on learning and application of knowledge. A minimum of 15 hours of CPD must be that organised by BETA. BETA will organise 2 to 3 group mentoring events throughout the year which may be on-line or in person. It is essential that an Early Career Nutritionist attends at least one of these group mentoring events each year. It is an opportunity to share reflections on development and progression and the host of the mentoring sessions will report on the attendee’s engagement and contribution to the session.

After three years of being a member of ENFAR, to progress to Equine Nutritionist status, the Early Career Nutritionist should apply to the BETA ENFAR Registrations Committee who will review their CPD records, seek professional references where appropriate and consult with those who chaired the mentoring events.

Feed Advisers

There is a requirement for 20 hours of CPD per year to include an annual self-reflection report. The annual report should include details of what the individual has learned in the past 12 months and how they’ve been able to apply it in the advice they give. The number of hours is lower as it is recognised that Feed Advisers are not necessarily office based and giving advice is not their only activity. CPD should be a mix of formats and topics and should not all be internal training. A minimum of 8 hours of CPD must be that organised by BETA. Identifying areas for further training or improvement in skills in the coming year should also be included. Recognising one’s limitations and remit are key for the role of Feed Adviser and the self-reflection report should include reference to this.

Examples of CPD

Product training from companies supplying products to retailers
Internal company training
BETA on-line training sessions for Feed Advisers
Reading articles and recording learning outcomes
Participating in technical training sessions with defined learning outcomes