10 Oct 2023

The search for the winner of the BETA Equine Thesis of the Year Award, which recognises and rewards excellence in undergraduate study, is almost over. Four finalists are now in the running and will present their thesis to a panel of judges during an online event on Sunday 29 October.

Universities and colleges offering equine-related degrees throughout the UK and Ireland were each invited to submit one entry, with the following making it through to the finals:
● Bishop Burton College – Lauren Wain.   An Investigation into the Influence of Balance
and Proprioceptive Pads on Equine Posture and Kinematics
● University of Liverpool – Hannah Shanks-Boon. The Effect of Body Condition Score on Tongue Size, Soft Palate Angle and Basihyoid Depth in Horses
● Writtle University College – Nadine L Mostert. Oat Straw in the Haylage Diet: Exploring the Effect on Equine Weight, Bowel Movements, and Chewing and Consumption
● University of Limerick – Laura Dayot. Application of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) to Measure the Composition of Mare’s Colostrum and Milk

The BETA Equine Thesis of the Year finals will start at 2pm and is open to the public, trade and members of the academic community. To register your interest to attend, contact the BETA office for a link or use the following registration form: Register to attend final

Each finalist will present her work and while it is being considered by the judges, will take the opportunity to respond to questions from the audience. The judges will then return to announce the winner and runner-up of the award.

“The Equine Thesis of the Year Award is a great way for us to acknowledge the extremely high standard of undergraduate study that is being produced at our universities and colleges,” said BETA executive director Claire Williams. “There is some incredibly impressive work taking place and some exciting and diverse ideas coming through – all of which bode well for the future of our industry.


 

“Taking a ringside seat makes sure we can hear about the work that is being done – straight from the horse’s mouth. And maintaining the event online makes it accessible to everyone. We are really looking forward to finding out more about the theses and discovering who is crowned winner. We wish the students and their universities the very best of luck and congratulate them on making it this far.”
This year’s final judges are:
• Dr Georgina Crossman – a research consultant and owner of GK Crossman Consultancy. Georgina works with a number of organisations, including The Horse Trust, World Horse Welfare and Redwings Horse Sanctuary. She is also the administrator for the National Equine Forum. She has guest lectured at various institutions, including L’Institut Agro Dijon (France), speaking on subjects such as the structure of the horse sector and the relationship between the horse industry and government.
• Dr Katie Williams – an equine nutritionist with 25 years’ experience. She gained a masters degree in equine science from Writtle College and received the Edgar Pye Scholarship for her dissertation. In 2023 Katie completed her PhD in veterinary medicine research at the University of Glasgow exploring the status of nutrition in the veterinary profession. She has presented her findings at various conferences most recently the Equine Science Society Symposium in Dallas, Texas. As technical and product development manager at Dengie, she is responsible for creating new products and ensuring they are legally compliant. Katie is very honoured to be Vice-Chair of the BETA Feed Committee.
• Dr Danica Pollard- Dee completed a BSc degree at Rhodes University, South Africa, where she majored in Botany and Microbiology and also completed a one-year Honours degree in Microbiology. She then completed a Masters in Animal Breeding and Genetics at Wageningen University in the Netherlands and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences where she conducted research on the transmission of dwarfism in the Friesian horse as well as how inherited disorders are managed in the breeding of European sports horses. Dee went on to complete a PhD through the Royal Veterinary College while being based primarily at the Animal Health Trust (AHT) remaining there for three further years as a postdoctoral research scientist. She currently works as a researcher at the British Horse Society on a number of different projects and has a keen interest in road safety. She is also an independent consultant working mostly with vets conducting research, advising on study design, statistical analysis and getting the research published in peer-reviewed journals.

• Liz Benwell – editor of leading trade title Equestrian Trade News. Liz began her career in journalism as a newspaper reporter, was the first editor of Your Horse magazine and is a self-confessed horsey ‘anorak’. She has enjoyed competing in many equestrian sports at amateur level, with long-distance riding a particular favourite. Liz has two horses, one of which is rehomed from World Horse Welfare, and rides most days.
To confirm your place at the online BETA Equine Thesis of the Year Award, contact BETA on agy@beta-uk.org.

The British Equestrian Trade Association’s (BETA) Summer of Safety has begun, providing lots of opportunities for equestrians to learn, win prizes, and help keep themselves and their horses a whole lot safer.

The campaign is now in its third year, starting in 2021, and retains the clear objective of helping to keep equestrians and their horses safer in all activities. BETA is working with its trade members and aligned professionals on a calendar of content including lives and video around this, as well as providing a host or brilliant prizes sharing latest innovations.

“We are delighted to be running the Summer of Safety for 2023, and have bigger plans than ever before,” said Claire Williams, Executive Director of BETA. “This includes in person events as well as lives and content through social media, but we also have huge support amongst the trade meaning that if you visit any of our members during the summer, you could well see some Summer of Safety bunting and information as it’s a cause close to so many hearts.”

The idea behind the Summer of Safety came about in a bid to help demystify safety through providing more information around hats and standards alongside real stories that bring it to life and allow the community to learn from one another.

“The campaign is not to scare people, far from it. Through educating ourselves and sharing stories, we can all understand how we can reduce risks to keep everyone safer. Over the last two years we’ve had people like Paul Tapner share his story with us about his fall, and the impact that had was huge. We’re also very lucky to have our Chief Medical Officer, Dr Diane Fisher, on hand to support the campaign by providing insight and experience from the point of view of a medical professional.”

To find out more about BETA’s Summer of Safety, see www.beta-uk.org

To get involved with the competitions and other news during the campaign, make sure you follow BETA on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/betaequestrian and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beta_equestrian/

The annual BETA Feed Conference, sponsored by Premier Nutrition, is running over two days for the first time this year and expects to draw the leading names in equine feed manufacturing and nutrition to hear a full programme of topical issues, bringing them up to date with current legislative issues and the challenges of regulation compliance.

Running on Tuesday and Wednesday 27 & 28 June at the Hilton East Midlands Airport, the first day focuses on matters NOPS® (Naturally occurring prohibited substances) whilst day two focuses on broader matters of interest to the feed industry.  There will be a conference dinner on the evening of 27th June when guest speaker Helen Nicholls, World Class Performance Manager for British Equestrian will detail her role and experiences.

Day one includes updates on testing and auditing results, a legal perspective of the challenges of producing feed for competition horses, updates on Arsenic and other substances and views from the sporting regulators. It will include with both a forage producer’s and compound feed manufacturers view on emerging risks and challenges.

Day Two tackles the main issues facing the equine nutrition industry today with a session on responsible marketing including views from an independent nutritionist, retailer, coach, opportunities and pitfalls of using social media for feed marketing. This is followed by a regulators perspective, and in the afternoon the lens focuses on sustainability including responsible sourcing and the carbon footprint of animal feed.

 “The conference is always well-attended, providing a highly effective way in which to update feed industry colleagues with the most up-to-date developments in this fascinating sector,” said BETA executive director Claire Williams. “It also offers delegates an ideal opportunity for some great networking with friends and colleagues, old and new, in a well located venue. We are also delighted to welcome back Gold Sponsors Premier Nutrition and Silver sponsors KIWA in support of the Conference.”

The conference is open to all those working in the feed and supplements industry – including manufacturers, distributors, retailers, nutritionists and university lecturers.

Full details of rates members and non-members rates, including live streaming options, can be found using the booking link here.

For further enquiries or a full programme, please contact the BETA office on telephone 01937 587062 or email info@beta-uk.org.

Gold Sponsor:

Silver sponsor:

The British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) is launching its spring Feed Fact Fortnight on 1st April, and there’s plenty of opportunities for horse owners to get involved, learn, and bag themselves some amazing prizes from the leading names in the feed industry.

The fortnight will have a general focus on obesity in horses and how we as horse owners can look to address this from a feeding point of view. In addition, other relevant content will be shared by brands, helping to support horse owners as they move through spring and into summer.

“We know, as horse owners ourselves, that the feed space can be quite a challenging one to navigate, and that’s why we believe these Feed Fact Fortnights are so important,” said Claire Williams, Executive Director of BETA. “We all want to do the best for our horses, and part of that is understanding equine nutrition, whether it’s the basic rules of feeding that help to prevent some issues in horses or being able to decipher what the back of a feed bag means. We are lucky to have the support from the leading feed brands in the industry, and their willingness to share their knowledge, get involved with Lives where they’ll answer questions in real time, as well as their support through amazing prizes is so appreciated.”

Feed Fact Fortnight will involve many leading brands, but the main places to get involved with the competitions and see the content as it’s released is through BETA’s social media.

“We want this information to be as accessible as possible, easy to share, and to help as many people as we can, so we focus on social media for these campaigns. I’d encourage anyone who wants to improve their knowledge and win some fabulous prizes to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.”

For more information, like BETA’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/betaequestrian and follow on Instagram at www.instagram.com/beta_equestrian/. For more information on BETA, see www.beta-org.uk

STUDENT’S STUDY SCOOPS TOP AWARD

Research on foaling risks and training aids impresses the judges.

Danielle Mullin is the winner of the 2022 BETA (British Equestrian Trade Association) Equine Thesis of the Year Award.

The University of Limerick equine science graduate analysed thousands of difficult births during a decade of foalings at two Thoroughbred studs in Ireland.

Danielle was presented with a trophy and £200 cash prize after four finalists had presented their theses to a panel of judges during an online event on Sunday, 30 October.

A highly commended award went to Olivia Hammond who graduated in equine therapy and rehabilitation from Bishop Burton University Centre. Olivia studied the effect of a training aid on horses’ striding and head and neck position.

Since finishing their studies, of which their award-winning theses were part, Danielle is working for a Thoroughbred stud, while Yorkshire based Olivia is a self-employed equine practitioner.


“Bringing research to life”

The judges praised all four 2022 BETA Thesis of the Year finalists’ dedication to their studies during a testing time.

“We congratulate each of the finalists on the completion of their degree and dissertation whilst challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Georgina Crossman who headed the four-strong judging panel.

“Their presentations expanded on their written dissertations, bringing their research to life.  

“Olivia Hammond showed an in-depth understanding of her research throughout her presentation.  

“Danielle Mullin’s dissertation highlighted an issue within Thoroughbred breeding that should be a concern for all breeders, while her presentation built on this and underlined the risks of breeding from any mare.”

This is the seventh year BETA has run the competition which recognises the best in undergraduate study across the UK and Ireland. An audience from the public, industry and academia watched the finalists’ presentations online.

Universities and colleges offering equine-related degrees are each invited to submit one undergraduate dissertation entry for the annual BETA Equine Thesis of the Year.

Following preliminary judging, the following made it through to Sunday’s final:

● Bishop Burton University Centre – Olivia Hammond.  Thesis: The effect of the German string training aid on equine stride length, tracking distance and head and neck position.
● Harper Adams University – Jenny Johnson. Thesis: The effect of kinesio tape on the surface temperature of the forelimb superficial digital flexor tendon of polo ponies when applied beneath polo bandages during exercise.
● Hartpury University – Lizzie Millington. Thesis: The immediate effects of an equine physiotherapy intervention on spinal kinematics.
● University of Limerick – Danielle Mullin. Thesis: An analysis of Dystocia in Thoroughbred mares in Ireland.

The judges were Dr Georgina Crossman – a research consultant and owner of GK Crossman Consultancy; Katie Williams – the technical and product development manager at Dengie; Karen Coumbe – a vet for more than 35 years and co-founder of Bell Equine in Kent; and Liz Benwell – editor of Equestrian Trade News.

The search for the winner of the BETA Equine Thesis of the Year Award, which recognises and rewards excellence in undergraduate study, is almost over. Four finalists are now in the running and will present their thesis to a panel of judges during an online event on Sunday 30 October.

Universities and colleges offering equine-related degrees throughout the UK and Ireland were each invited to submit one entry, with the following making it through to the finals:

● Bishop Burton College – Olivia Hammond.  Thesis: The effect of the German string training aid on equine stride length, tracking distance and head and neck position.
● Harper Adams University – Jenny Johnson. Thesis: The effect of kinesio tape on the surface temperature of the forelimb superficial digital flexor tendon of polo ponies when applied beneath polo bandages during exercise.
● Hartpury University – Lizzie Millington. The immediate effects of an equine physiotherapy intervention on spinal kinematics.
● University of Limerick – Danielle Mullin. Thesis: An analysis of Dystocia in thoroughbred mares in Ireland.

The BETA Equine Thesis of the Year finals will start at 2pm and are open to both the public, trade and members of the academic community. Please register your interest to attend using the following registration form: Registration form

Each finalist will present her work and while it is being considered by the judges, will take the opportunity to respond to questions from the audience. The judges will then return to announce the winner of the award.

“The Equine Thesis of the Year Award is a fantastic way for us to mark the extremely high standard of undergraduate study that is being produced at our universities and colleges,” said BETA executive director Claire Williams. “There is some incredibly impressive research taking place and some exciting and diverse ideas, which will certainly give our industry – and equestrians – plenty of food for thought.


“Taking a ringside seat makes sure we can hear about the work that is being done – straight from the horse’s mouth. And maintaining the event online makes it accessible to everyone. We are really looking forward to finding out more about the theses and discovering who is crowned winner. We wish the students and their universities the very best of luck and congratulate them on making it this far.”

This year’s final judges are:

• Dr Georgina Crossman – a research consultant and owner of GK Crossman Consultancy. Georgina works with a number of organisations, including The Horse Trust, World Horse Welfare and Redwings Horse Sanctuary. She has also guest lectured at various institutions, including L’Institut Agro Dijon (France), speaking on subjects such as the structure of the horse sector and the relationship between the horse industry and government.

• Katie Williams – an equine nutritionist with 25 years’ experience. She gained a master’s degree in equine science from Writtle College and received the Edgar Pye Scholarship for her dissertation on the effects of prebiotics on racehorses in training. In 2017, Katie embarked on her PhD in veterinary medicine research at the University of Glasgow. As technical and product development manager at Dengie, she is responsible for creating new products and ensuring they are legally compliant. Katie also sits on the BETA Feed Committee, provides technical support for key customers and works with the Queen’s Royal studs at Sandringham and Balmoral.

• Karen Coumbe – a vet for more than 35 years who began her career in a mixed practice, after studying at Girton College, Cambridge.  Then, in 1989, she co-founded a specialist equine practice, Bell Equine, in Kent, which has developed into a nearly 30 vet equine hospital rated as outstanding at the most recent inspection by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons . Karen was a partner from 1995 and became a director in 2012 until the business was sold to CVS(UK)Ltd in 2017. She has a particular interest in equine anaesthesia and pain management, as well as sports medicine and equine performance, pre-purchase exams, ophthalmology, dermatology and ultrasonography. She has written veterinary books and acts as the veterinary correspondent for Horse & Hound. She also enjoys working as an official veterinarian for the FEI, even though this and her other activities interrupt work in her veggie garden and enjoying time with her own horse and two daughters.

• Liz Benwell – editor of leading trade title Equestrian Trade News. Liz began her career in journalism as a newspaper reporter, was the first editor of Your Horse magazine and is a self-confessed horsey “anorak”. She has enjoyed competing in many equestrian sports at amateur level, with long-distance riding a particular favourite, has three horses, all of which are rehomed from World Horse Welfare, and rides most days.

Bolesworth and the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) are delighted to announce the BETA Safety Hub will be making its debut at this year’s Dodson & Horrell Bolesworth International Horse Show.

The BETA Safety Hub came about from a conversation between Nina Barbour, director of Bolesworth, and Claire Williams, Executive Director of BETA. In addition to organising Bolesworth, Nina showjumps internationally and is aware of the dangers both on and off the horse that riders and grooms expose themselves to each day. This was brought to the fore when Nina’s close friend, Shaz Quigley, suffered a life changing injury when handling a horse on the ground. With BETA’s knowledge and expertise in all things safety, and the ability to offer hat checks and education, especially when combined with the skills that BETA’s CMO Dr Diane Fisher can also bring to an event, the BETA Safety Hub was born.

“Safety is so important, but it’s easy to overlook until something goes wrong,” said Nina Barbour. “Accidents happen, and horses are unpredictable animals, but there are ways we can reduce the impact of injuries through what we wear.

“With over 800 horses on site during the Dodson & Horrell Bolesworth International Horse Show, and the riders and grooms that come with them, we have a great platform to help support and educate people around this. We know that safety is a hard sell, but when you see the impact that freak injuries can have, it makes it very real.”

“We’re delighted to be working with Bolesworth in the BETA Safety Hub,” said Claire Williams. “We work with retailers and manufacturers all over the UK and beyond to help train and support them around safety equipment, and do a lot of work with the consumer too. We’ve just started our Summer of Safety campaign, so being able to bring it to life at Bolesworth is a great opportunity. And we have lots planned in the hub to make safety interesting.”

The BETA Safety Hub will be located next to the Castle Arena on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to learning about current hat and body protector standards and having hats fit checked for free, there’s also the option to listen to talks in the live Rider Clinics with Dr Diane Fisher, learn CPR and jaw thrusts, enter a competition to win a hamper full of goodies worth over £600, ride a mechanical horse that is programmed for high level dressage, and learn about Naturally Occurring Prohibited Substances (NOPS) and how some of your favourite snacks, if shared with your horse, could lead to a positive test.

The British Equestrian Trade Association is delighted to announce the return of the Summer of Safety for 2022.

This is the second year of the highly successful campaign that was designed to help inspire, educate and encourage people to embrace safety in all areas of their equestrian life, to help keep themselves and their horses safer. This year, the Summer of Safety will run from June to August and already has a huge amount of support behind it.

“We are delighted to bring back the Summer of Safety this year,” said Claire Williams, Executive Director for BETA. “We are passionate about safety and spend a lot of time working with our members and other organisations to help make sure everyone is aware of how they can help protect themselves. Of course, things like hats and body protectors are part of the campaign, but we are looking to create a real 360 approach to educate people around all aspects of their equestrian life.”

The summer long campaign will include in person events, lives and online content from riders, manufacturers, equestrian bodies, BETA’s CMO Dr Diane Fisher, and more. In addition, the Summer of Safety will be heavily supported by BETA members in the form of competitions across the association’s social media platforms, educational information, and the ability to get involved in other ways too.

“The last Summer of Safety gave us a great opportunity to explain so many aspects of what we do as BETA, without being fun vampires,” said Dr Diane Fisher, CMO of BETA. “Being a trauma consultant, I see so many injuries and it just makes me painfully aware of how important it is that we all do everything we can to protect ourselves. We’re never going to be able to remove all the risks associated with equestrian sport, but there is a huge amount we can do to help protect ourselves, and that’s why the Summer of Safety is so important.”

The Summer of Safety will include many different aspects of equestrian safety, from hats and body protectors to handling horses from the ground, stories from riders, feed safety- including NOPS, tack safety, and more.

To keep up to date with the campaign, see www.beta-uk.org, follow on Instagram @beta_equestrian, and on Facebook /betaequestrian

Have you got the student? We’ve got the award. Does one of your students deserve special recognition?  If so, why not enter them for the BETA Equine Thesis of the Year Award.

Our search for 2022 winner of Equine Thesis has just started. The competition is open to every university and college in the UK and Republic of Ireland that has students focusing on equine and equestrian related studies.

Last year’s virtual final was a real success with large numbers viewing. This year we plan to keep the virtual element although should circumstances allow we might also return to face-to-face presentations.

A shortlist of students will present their thesis to a panel of judges and an audience of industry-based professionals on Sunday 30th October 2022. Once again, the winner will be presented with a monetary prize and trophy.

The BETA Equine Thesis of the Year Award not only demonstrates the quality of the UK and Ireland’s equine students but all the hard work that the colleges and universities put in to educate such students.   

The 2021 Equine Thesis of the Year Award was claimed by –– Isabelle Anderson of the Writtle University College with her thesis: Owner satisfaction with rehabilitation practices for chronic sacroiliac pain in equines in the UK since the year 2000.

Please contact Agy Mossakowska agy@beta-uk.org if you think you will be making an entry. The deadline for entries is Monday 6th June 2022.

On March 24th, members of the equestrian trade gathered at the Hilton East Midlands for the BETA Conference and BETA Business Awards. This was the first BETA Conference in two years due to covid.

Full programme>>>

Speakers’ bios >>>

The event featured talks from speakers covering different aspects of business that are incredibly important in the world we live in now.

Gillian McAteer from The Citation Group was first to give her talk, which focused in on HR and issues connected to covid. Gillian shared examples of covid related cases that were raised at tribunal and explained what the examples showed and the lessons we could all learn from them. Not only did this help to illustrate the key points around vulnerable areas for companies, but also the key areas that employers needed to be aware of to protect the workforce.

The Citation Group: https://thecitationgroup.com/ 

Next, delegates were treated to a talk titled: ‘How to employ the right people and keep them’, given by Emma Dyer from Equine Careers. Emma shared practical tips for how to attract the right people to your brand in addition to how to write an amazing job advertisement to help get the right people to apply. Moving on, Emma also covered the area of retention and shared the seven steps to staff retention including first impressions, company culture, performance environment, training managers, encouraging communication and clarity, utilising people’s skills and, when things don’t work out, the value of the exit interview.

Equine Careers: https://www.equine-careers.co.uk/ 

Tim Smith from TSM Marketing was next to speak and covered the importance of a combined approach when it comes to marketing – utilising on page marketing with social media and digital. He shared different techniques and ideas around traditional and more modern marketing styles, and also fielded a lot of questions from the audience that covered influencer marketing and so much more.

TSM: https://timsmithmarketing.co.uk/ 

Richard Cole from Future Money Ltd then spoke around factors shaping the economy past, present and future, and provided everyone in the room with a great overview and the important why behind it. He explained what the increases in fuel and energy costs mean for business, how supply chain difficulties have led to an increase in prices, and now inflation has added another layer. But Richard’s talk was far from doom and gloom. He explained that a lot of the issues that are currently being experienced are still linked to covid, and also the signs for recovery we have seen with the UK economy being in a strong position, above pre-pandemic

Future Money: https://www.futuremoney.co.uk/ 

The future of retail was the subject of the next talk, delivered by Craig Smith of C & A Retail Consultants. Craig shared how the power has shifted when it comes to what retailers stock and how this is now with the customer. He talked about the agility of retailers (as shown by how many pivoted so well during the lockdowns), and insight around the struggles that bricks and mortar businesses face. Craig talked about how rotas are created in line with employees and their schedules rather than when the customer needs the service, and how this could be something to look at. The ‘experience economy’ was also discussed and how Craig, in his time with Pets At Home, had worked to give people more reasons to visit the store… and did this through taking away 30% of products. He discussed mindset shifts, in store events, immersive experiences using tech, how stores can make people feel, and also asking people what could have been better.


And last, but by no means least, we heard from Mike Seaman of Raccoon Events. Mike shared his company’s sustainability journey and the steps that Raccoon is putting in place to help make events more sustainable as it targets net zero. He explained that it hasn’t been an easy journey and whilst hiring sustainability experts has a cost implication, some of the savings that have been made as part of the drive to be more sustainable have saved the company money. He talked about targeting net zero, how Raccoon is incentivising suppliers to also become more sustainable, and the difference between visible and invisible impact and how this makes people feel and think of a show as being more sustainable. Mike urged the room to just start. There’s a lot that can be done to cut down on waste and become more eco-friendly and although it’s easy to get overwhelmed, how the key was simply getting started.

Raccoon: https://raccoonevents.com/

You can watch the recording  of the conference and awards for £25  + vat pp.

To book your 30 days access >>>