Equine Behaviour Unwrapped Conference Gets the Go-Ahead

The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) has announced its first ever Virtual Equine Conference – “Equine Behaviour Unwrapped” – bringing together four clinical equine behaviourists to present on their area of expertise:

• Anna Haines – Equine Behaviourist for the Mare & Foal Sanctuary and owner of Equine Behaviour Solutions, Anna has spent her career working in equine charities in the UK and abroad. Her talk “Behaviour – At the heart of everything we do” will highlight the importance of understanding equine behaviour within the equine charity sector and how this can be applied to promote positive psychological well-being in the equines within our care.
• Dr Helen Spence – as a Psychologist, Helen has always been passionate about the importance of applying learning theory in relation to arousal of the nervous system, emotional state, and, perhaps most importantly, safety of the horse and handler/rider. In her talk “Understanding the psychology of horse training and behaviour,” Helen will be discussing the relationship between training and behaviour, and the importance of an effective working relationship between coaches and behaviourists.
• Loni Loftus – currently a PhD scholar at Newcastle University, Loni’s talk “Positive affective state in equines: Results of an international research project” will discuss the concept of positive emotional welfare in horses and its relevance in horse care and training, including performance improvement, in a range of disciplines from happy hackers to competition and working horses.
• Roxane Kirton MRCVS – RSPCA Senior Equine Clinician, Roxane is a strong advocate for ensuring that there is a holistic, horse centred approach to veterinary treatment and management. Her talk, “‘What a Pain’ – The multi-disciplinary team: optimising the outcome for the animal” will consider the importance of the team approach to care, including the individual professional roles and responsibilities, with a focus on the recognition and management of pain in equine behaviour problems.

The Conference can be viewed live on Saturday 28^th November between 09:30-16:30 GMT when delegates will also get the chance to ask speakers questions after their talks. However, ticket holders will also be able to watch recordings of the event for 30 days afterwards.

Dr Anne McBride, APBC Chairperson says:

Following the success of our annual conference (which we were forced to run virtually due to Covid-19), we decided to organise an equine-specific conference to enable our speakers and delegates to really delve into the nitty-gritty of equine behaviour. Virtual conferences allow anyone to attend – so long as they have a device with an internet connection. We are delighted that our speakers have agreed to be part of this new APBC venture, and we know that there will be something for everyone – whether a horse owner, riding instructor, stud owner, researcher, in the charity sector, part of the equine vet team or a behaviourist.”

Tickets cost £55 which includes ‘virtual’ entry on the day, a virtual delegate pack with all the speaker’s presentations plus further details about their talks, and the recordings available for 30 days. Discounts are available for APBC members, members of ABTC organisations, BHS APCs and groups from rescue organisations.

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Further information regarding our speakers can be found, and tickets purchased here: www.apbc.org.uk/Events/virtual-equine-conference

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