Hartpury University and the Worshipful Company of Farriers will join forces on Tuesday 8 July to host One Horse: Many Eyes - A Multidisciplinary Approach to Assessment of the Athletic Horse, a specialist CPD event exploring how collaborative working can improve horse welfare, soundness, longevity and performance.
Running from 9.00am to 4.30pm, the event is aimed at farriers, equine musculoskeletal practitioners, coaches, saddle fitters and horse owners keen to gain a deeper understanding of how a range of equestrian professionals assess and support the athletic horse throughout its life. Tickets cost £150 and include a full day of CPD, refreshments and lunch.
The event has been designed to showcase the value of a multidisciplinary approach to horse assessment, helping delegates better understand the connections between hoof balance, limb asymmetries, posture, movement, muscle development, saddle fit and rider influence.
Attendees will explore how assessment methods vary across professional disciplines while identifying the common themes that underpin effective horse management. By examining the overlap in professional responsibilities, delegates will gain valuable insight into how optimised team working can lead to improved outcomes for horses in work.
A key focus throughout the day will be understanding how static conformation and posture influence whole-body movement, enabling participants to develop a greater appreciation of the horse, saddle and rider as a dynamic system. The programme will also highlight the important relationship between farriery, foot care, upper body kinematics and the horse-rider partnership.
Leading the sessions will be an expert panel including farriers Gavin Moody FWCF and Andrew Bowyer FWCF, Chartered Physiotherapist Jo Paul MCSP, Master Saddler and Saddle Fitter Mark Fisher RVM, and equine biomechanics specialist Dr Russell Mackechnie-Guire.
The morning programme will feature keynote presentations beginning with Gavin Moody’s session on assessing and managing the young horse, examining how early intervention can influence long-term soundness and performance. Jo Paul will then explore the links between posture, movement and performance, demonstrating how physiotherapy can support functional capacity and athletic development. Mark Fisher and Dr Russell Mackechnie-Guire will conclude the morning sessions by examining the role of saddle fitting in balancing both horse and rider.
Following lunch and networking opportunities, delegates will take part in a series of practical breakout sessions designed to bring the day’s themes to life. Using live horses, specimens and objective assessment techniques, participants will rotate through sessions focused on farriery, physiotherapy and saddle fitting, gaining first-hand insight into how different specialists evaluate the athletic horse.
The practical sessions will include assessment of the forelimb and foot, investigation of the relationship between hindlimb function and saddle slip, and functional assessment of posture, back health and movement patterns using Hartpury’s specialist equine performance facilities.
The day will conclude with a keynote address from Andrew Bowyer FWCF, drawing together the central themes of the event and reinforcing the important role that farriery plays within the wider multidisciplinary team supporting the athletic horse.
Through clear links and recurring themes running across every presentation and practical session, One Horse: Many Eyes aims to encourage professionals to work more closely together, learn from other disciplines and embrace new technologies to enhance their assessment skills and ultimately improve outcomes for horses.
For more information and to book a place on the event, click here.
