BHS to launch ‘new look’ welfare publications
and ‘BHS Equi Weight Watchers’ in 2004
The British Horse Society (BHS) will be launching a number
of new welfare initiatives in 2004, starting with a ‘new
look’ magazine, a first time horse owner’s pack
and teaming up with the Laminitis Trust’s ‘Fit
not Fat’ campaign by introducing ‘BHS Equi Weight
Watchers’.
The first issue of ‘BHS Equi-Care’ magazine will
be published early in February and distributed to anyone interested
in equine welfare, including those who have BHS Rescue ponies
on loan and BHS Welfare Supporter’s Club members. The
magazine will contain a host of welfare issues; pasture management,
Ragwort control, behaviour problems and condition scoring
with weight control.
This latter topic will be additionally publicised through
the ‘BHS Equi Weight Watchers’ campaign, working
alongside the Laminitis Trust to help eliminate cases of painful
laminitis in horses and ponies. Owners can join up to the
campaign, receiving free advice, and will be encouraged to
keep a condition score for their animal and record its weight
on a regular basis, providing useful information to the BHS.
The ‘First Time Horse Owner’s Pack’ is
being introduced as a result of numerous enquiries to the
BHS from new owners seeking advice on a variety of subjects.
The pack will cater for all new owners, covering all levels
of equine experience, with information on buying a horse,
costs involved, activities and training, as well as standard
topics such as shoeing, worming, paddock maintenance and grooming.
To complement the initiatives will be a ‘new look’
page on the BHS website (www.bhs.org.uk) in the New Year.
The initiatives reflect a review of policy at the BHS following
the closure of its Rescue Centre earlier in 2003. The emphasis
now will be on education to prevent welfare cases rather than
treating the aftermath of ignorance and neglect. BHS head
of welfare, Helen Owens, said, “We are very excited
about the new policy. It was obvious from the many enquiries
received at the BHS that there is a high demand for this sort
of initiative and we feel that our efforts will be best spent
on helping to educate owners in the first place, to prevent
the suffering instead of dealing with it afterwards.
“The magazine will be available in February and whilst
the new owner’s pack and BHS Equi Weight Watchers will
be officially launched at Badminton, the information will
be readily available around the same time.”
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