8.45AM - ROSA VERWIJS & JUSTINE HARRISON

9AM - Lecture: ROSA VERWIJS

As evidence-based practitioners, equine behaviour consultants and trainers use science to develop their knowledge and application of ethical management systems for horses. New research is a great way for us to appraise our methods, adapt our techniques and come up with new strategies to optimise management systems for horses and clients. This talk will review the most recent equine-specific research studies to give you a synopsis of the latest scientific advances and how they can influence our horse management practices through better understanding of some of the factors that can affect horses in their day to day lives.

9.45AM - Lecture: ALINE BOUQUET

Artificial weaning (i.e., the human induced physical separation of dam and foal at an earlier stage than natural weaning) is one of the most stressful events in a horse’s life. Contrary to a (semi-) feral situation - where weaning involves the gradual cessation of nursing and transitioning onto a full solid food diet, artificial weaning not only initiates the cessation of nursing but also breaks the dam-foal attachment and brings along additional nutritional, husbandry, and social changes. In this lecture we will talk about how weaning stress can negatively influence short- and long-term physical and psychological health, welfare, and how different management practices may alleviate or worsen artificial weaning stress.

10.30AM

Tea & Coffee

11AM - Lecture: ROXANE KIRTON

Roxane will explore the current literature and evidence around equine obesity, touching on equine metabolic syndrome, as well as how to best tackle weight monitoring and management in horses. Delving into the pros and cons of the different weight management strategies available, when, and how to best implement them as well as looking at how to critically evaluate their health and welfare impact and effectiveness. She will also review the latest evidence around exercise for weight loss and discuss how this might be practically applied.

11.45AM - Lecture: JUSTINE HARRISON

Horse owners want to be able to load and transport their horse for fun rides, competitions, events and to the vet whenever necessary. However, horses understandably may find the loading and travelling process difficult for a number of reasons. In this talk Justine will explore the key factors influencing horse behaviour during transportation, including the physiological and psychological impacts, stress reduction and handling techniques. She will consider the best practices for loading and travelling horses, minimizing stress and injury as well as sharing her own case studies demonstrating successful implementation.

12.30PM

A short Q&A session with the morning’s presenters.

12.45PM

Buffet lunch

1.45PM - Lecture: EMMA LETHBRIDGE

Emma will explore how horses experience and express emotions. She will guide you through the spectrum of equine emotions and their significance in bonding and communication. Discover the fascinating dynamics of equine emotional recognition and contagion in horses and gain valuable insights into their social behaviours and interactions. Explore how emotional responding shapes their interactions with humans and fellow equines, providing a deeper understanding of their cognitive and affective capacities.

2.30PM - Lecture: TAMZIN FURTADO

“But why is he doing that?” In this presentation Tamzin will explore the human psychology of how we as horse people piece together information about behaviour, using the latest research around how we interpret and understand our horses. She will explore the human-horse relationship and how it is affected by our emotions, bias and processes of decision making, particularly when things become tough and we don’t understand why our horse is performing a specific behaviour. Tamzin will also consider what we can learn from our collective experiences, and what strategies we can all put in place to help us and our horses.

3.15PM

Tea & Coffee

3.45PM - Lecture (Online): SAM COUPER

Dominance has been used to model the social structure of wild horses. In this lecture Sam will explore the ethological definition of dominance and discuss how aggression in horses is far more complicated than it first appears. In wild scenarios, outright aggression between horses is rare. Sam will share how we can learn to recognise the signs of escalating aggression in horses and consider how natural and social environments can reduce aggression between equines in the wild.

4.30PM - Lecture: Trudi Dempsey

Why does clicker training (R+ based) remain on the fringes of mainstream equestrianism and how can we make it more accessible? Although the popularity of clicker training has grown in recent years, Trudi will delve into the future and discuss how we can improve understanding of learning theory and its application to everyday training. This lecture will introduce the ‘behaviour builder’ system that uses R+ by ‘stealth’ to engage and motivate horses.

5PM

A Q&A session with the afternoon’s presenters.

5.30PM

8.45AM - ROSA VERWIJS & JUSTINE HARRISON

8.50AM - Demo: JUSTINE HARRISON

How can we make the loading and travelling process easier for both horses and handlers? In this practical Justine will consider how to improve the training environment and demonstrate different approaches for effectively loading and transporting horses, with an emphasis on the use of positive reinforcement. By exploring antecedent arrangements and the LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) hierarchy, Justine will look at how environmental modifications, desensitisation, and shaping behaviours through rewards can lead to a co-operative and calm loading experience.

8.50AM - Demo: ALINE BOUQUET & ROSA VERWIJS

During Justine’s demo, Aline & Rosa will give a practical demonstration of some of the research tools and techniques used to measure equine behaviour and welfare. They will explain how physiological parameters can be measured to support and validate behavioural observations when assessing horses during training, collecting data for research and from a clinical perspective. This practical will give you a good idea of how scientists objectively collect data to test hypotheses but also how you can use some of these techniques in your day to day interactions with Equids.

10AM - Demo: EMMA LETHBRIDGE

Recognising how horses respond to human emotions and body language cues in intricate ways including mirroring our emotions, can help to forge deeper connections and enhance mutual understanding. In this practical session Emma will investigate the dynamics of emotional intelligence in horses, by observing mirroring and mimicry in equine communication.

10.30AM

Tea & Coffee

11AM - Demo: BARBARA DREYER

Join Barbara for a hands-on demonstration looking at equine agility. She will show you how agility training can significantly improve your horse's confidence and deepen the bond between you. Barbara will also explore how these exercises can prepare your horse for environments outside the yard, equipping them with practical skills for everyday challenges. You'll gain valuable insights into making your horse more adaptable, confident, and well-prepared for any situation.

11.30AM - Demo: TRUDI DEMPSEY

Trudi will demonstrate how to break down behaviours to train things like the labyrinth or halting over poles using distant reinforcement routines. This uses her ‘behaviour builder’ system to back chain/sequence patterns and can easily be adapted for any ground or ridden work. This simple reward process, combined with breaking down behaviours, is easy to use and a great (stress free) introduction for those not yet using R+ methods.

12.15PM

Packed lunch

1.15pm & 2PM - Demo: ROXANE KIRTON

In this practical Roxane will demonstrate hands-on weight assessment techniques, including estimating weights, taking measurements, and scoring cresty neck and body condition. Using case studies, we will develop tailored weight management programmes considering the horse's needs, owner preferences, and available resources in each case. The workshop will also cover appropriate monitoring and review schedules to ensure the success of these programmes. You will learn practical strategies for maintaining your horse's optimal weight and health.

1.15PM & 2PM - Demo: Holly Gallacher

Horse owners massage practical: enhance your equine care skills with a comprehensive practical session focusing on essential techniques to improve your horses muscle health, flexibility and overall wellbeing. Learn how to identify and relieve muscle tension, promote circulation and support exercise recovery. Gain confidence through easy to learn techniques, enabling you to practice on your own horse. Suitable for horse owners at all levels, this practical is a valuable addition to your equine management toolkit, fostering a deeper connection with a healthier horse.

2.45PM

Tea & Coffee

3.15PM & 4PM - Workshop: Tamzin Furtado

We spend so much time learning about horses - now let's think about how we can understand ourselves! In this practical, interactive workshop, we will learn about our own human behaviour and why we sometimes find it difficult to change, even when we have the best intentions. We’ll explore the role of knowledge, motivation, habit, emotion, and the world around us in changing our behaviour, and how we can make the most of what we’ve learnt at Understand Horses as we put our learnings into practice once we get home.

3.15PM & 4PM - Workshop: Trudi Dempsey

Trudi will delve into scent work for horses in a classroom session that will have you testing your sense of smell as well as picking up tips on how to get started with your own horses. Trudi will look at the basics of odour detection, scent discrimination and how to teach an indication. Advice on how to get started, materials you’ll need and how to set up your scent detection environment will set you up for this fun activity.

4.45PM

Prizes kindly donated by our sponsors will be allocated to selected attendees.

5PM