Join Equine Guelph online for the 6th annual Equine Industry Symposium

Now more than ever the equine community is bursting with new opportunities. Join the University of Guelph, in partnership with Equine Guelph, Ontario Equestrian, and Equestrian Canada as these opportunities are discussed during the 6th annual Equine Industry Symposium. Sessions will be held virtually on the evenings of November 22-24, 2021, from 7 – 8:30 pm EST. Register for free at to receive the zoom links.

Equine Industry Symposium 2021

Opening night, Monday November 22, will discuss the themes of public trust and social license to operate. Guest speakers include Julie Fiedler, a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, Australia, studying social license in the equine industry, Sabrina Breifer from the Swiss National Stud discussing equine husbandry practices in Switzerland and Jody Hartstone a dressage rider from New Zealand, looking at social license from the lens of international competition. From Alberta, Jackie Wepruk will be highlighting comparisons between the social license to operate for equestrians and those involved in dog sledding. Jessica Buckley, Director of Racing of Woodbine Racetrack, will be discussing social license in horse racing.

The second night, Tuesday, November 23, will revolve around inclusivity in the equine community. This night will be moderated by Akaash Maharaj, introducing the demographics of Canada and the equine industry. Maharaj is a triple gold medalist at the International Championship of Equestrian Skill-at-Arms, and current Ambassador-at-Large for the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption. Lorna Cameron and Linda Greening, Senior Lecturers at Hartpury University in the UK, will deliberate about Hartpury’s outreach program focusing on the inclusivity of underrepresented student groups in Equine Higher Education. Simone Williams, an award-winning trainer, rider, and past assistant coach of Canada’s Paralympic Dressage team, will be discussing inclusivity for para riders. The opportunity for breakout room discussions will focus on barriers and potential solutions to increasing accessibility to horses and equestrian pursuits.

Wednesday, November 24, will delve into the topic of career opportunities, moderated by Christine Ruepke, current director of Equestrian Breed and Sport at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Natalie Keller Reinert will speak about her experiences as an equestrian fiction author. Kathryn Lefrancois, a University of Guelph Bachelor of Bio-Resource Management graduate, will present her career in sports therapy at Vétérinaire Ambulatoire EquiVet Inc. Nina Ekholm Fry will discuss careers in Equine Assisted Services and being an educator for EAS professionals, and from Equestrian Canada and Ontario Equestrian, Lindsay Nakonechny and Brandon Hall will discuss wide career opportunities.

This symposium is organized and hosted by the students in the Bachelor of Bio-Resource Management, Equine Management degree program at the University of Guelph. We are pleased to partner with Durham radio as our official media sponsor. Listen to KX94.7fm for updates on the symposium. Attendees will also have the opportunity to vote for their favourite charities with the top choices receiving a donation from the Equine Industry Symposium on behalf of the presenters.

To learn more about the 2021 Equine Industry Symposium, email EQevents@uoguelph.ca, follow @equinesymposium on Instagram or Facebook.

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Suzanne Ashton

Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.