Ben Mayes attended this all-day event in Westminster on 6th March 2025. The NEF (every March) is a cross-equine-industry Forum with some 200 people from all equine organisations, from charities like World Horse Welfare and the Horse Trust, the National Equine Welfare Council, membership organisations like the BHS, ABRS, RDA, BEVA, British Equestrian, educational establishments, as well as interested MPs including the (ex) equine vet Neil Hudson. For the first time, the Forum was live streamed free of charge.
Dr Pat Harris MRCVS opened the Forum setting the scene and leading a discussion on feed and forage. The NEF scheduled this as there is a lot of confusion with over-information and inevitable misinformation on equine diet: so perhaps the English Regulation higher requirement for independent nutritional advice is wise.
The highlight of the morning was the industry update session, chaired by Roly Owers OBE MRCVS, World Horse Welfare CEO. He introduced the Minister, Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Biosecurity, Borders and Animal Welfare). David Mountford MRCVS, CEO of BEVA and current Chair of the British Horse Council, gave an overview of the government’s lack of progress in the equine industry over the last 12 years, since equine identification (see passports) came on the agenda, and asked the Minister if her tenure was going to be sufficient to introduce new legislation. In this respect a rapid response to the recent English licensing Regulation five-year Post Implementation Review is not expected. DEFRA’s positive response recently landed on the Minister’s desk, essentially saying “no action required”. Richard Newton MRCVS of the Equine Disease Surveillance Group did a whistlestop tour of equine infectious disease and state of play: this is also a major part of the English Regulation with the Biosecurity Policy, Disease Prevention Policy and Isolation Policy. There was a question regarding avian flu and cross-over into horses, and Richard pointed out that this is far more likely to do so into humans: not sure how the world would cope with another epidemic right now!
Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal attended lunch and the afternoon session. British Equestrian showed off the Olympic equestrian success, although the pre-Olympic welfare dressage incident, the withdrawal of equestrianism from Modern Pentathlon and social licence in general is still at the forefront of the equine industry’s minds. Most of the afternoon was about Equine Assisted Services. This is important to us and the industry as a whole. Not equine athletes, but lots of little ponies, cobs, donkeys, all part of EIS organisations. Ed Bracher, Chair of the Equine Assisted Services Partnership and recently moved-on, long-term CEO of the RDA humorously gave us an overview of this rapidly emerging part of the sector. An educational consultant tried to get us up to speed on SEND learning, and then we listened to the founders of Strength and Learning Through Horses and a father and son story Changing Lives Through Horses. Many of these establishments are funded through social services and the NHS as well as local educational authorities, and it is rapidly growing. For example, I recently inspected one last week with a local authority animal welfare officer, they had been using 25 horses/ponies for riding without a licence for several years. At the NEF I learnt that the traditional riding school model is now being challenged (to a degree) by wilderness learning centres and hopefully the local authorities can keep up in terms of looking after the animal welfare. If the centre is using horses, along with other species, to educate and include, then the interests of the animals’ welfare must also be included: the local authority’s exhibition licence includes the non-ridden equines and other species.
Ben Mayes MA VetMB MRCVS, Trustee of the ABRS and RCVS Riding Establishment Sub-Committee member. Clinical Director, Mayes and Scrine Equine.
