Vets from as far afield as the UAE, Brazil, Qatar and Canada are travelling to the University to train in providing specialist veterinary care at competitions.
The British Equestrian Federation (BEF), the national governing body for horse sports in the UK, is hosting the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) Event Veterinarian Course at the University’s Leahurst campus.
The FEI competition includes the eight equestrian disciplines of Dressage, Eventing, Showjumping, Para-Equestrian Dressage, Driving, Endurance, Reining and Vaulting. At any of these competitions, there is an FEI accredited Event Veterinarian in attendance to oversee proceedings, as well as treating and team vets.
Vets seeking promotion to FEI accredited Event Veterinarian must take part in an approved course as part of their training. Once accredited, vets must then attend subsequent courses every three years to maintain their qualification.
The courses are run throughout the world on behalf of the FEI and are an important part of up-skilling BEF’s veterinary resource. Leahurst will welcome more than 50 delegate vets from around the world for the course which will cover topics such as equine emergencies, clean sport policies, welfare, and security of horses in a competition environment.
Professor of Equine Studies, Chris Proudman, said: “We’re looking forward to showcasing our outstanding veterinary and conference facilities. This level of engagement and interaction adds significant value to the veterinary student experience at Liverpool and facilitates industry-relevant research and knowledge exchange.”