6th December 2022

The BHF is inviting all those who are interested to a webinar entitled Better Beginnings – Your Opinion Matters, on 6 December at 7pm; a question and answer session during which expert panellists will share their opinions. The panel will answer questions posed in advance,  and the consensus will be used to create the guide. Registration is now open, and attendance is free.

BHF chair Jane Nixon, who will also be chairing the panel, said “The purpose of the whole project is to address and improve equine sustainable welfare with a new approach, by improving breeding and production practice, up to the age of two, when the growth plates fuse.

“Socrates said the secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new. Today we won’t look back, unless it’s to plan for the future. We must produce a content horse rather than chastise for an unhappy one.”

“We will address, using the most modern science and technology, and capitalising on age-old horsemanship experience, issues to ensure our horses and ponies are truly fit for purpose.

“I’m very much looking forward to the webinar, and to hearing your opinions and questions to our panellists, to assist the British Horse Foundation in producing the guide.” 

The panellists will be: 
- Di Lampard, British Show jumping performance manager
- Jennie Loriston-Clarke, four-time Olympian, and leading breeder and trainer
- Ben Benson, lead farrier at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics
- Jan Birch, whose doctoral studies and specialist research interests are in reproduction, lactation and growth
- Richard Davison, four-time Olympian
- Marcus Capel, Pony Club chief executive