BEVA Launches New Coping With Confinement Toolkit
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New practical toolkit helps equine vets and nurses support horse welfare during box rest, treatment and rehabilitation
The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has launched a new Coping with Confinement Toolkit, designed to help equine veterinary professionals manage the behavioural and welfare challenges associated with periods of confinement, including box rest.
The online toolkit, launched at BEVA Congress this week during the President’s opening address, provides practical, evidence-based guidance to help vets and nurses support horses’ behavioural wellbeing alongside their physical recovery.
Confinement, such as box rest or restricted grazing, may be essential for successful management, treatment or rehabilitation, but can be challenging for horses and owners alike in in its effect on behaviour, stress levels and overall welfare. The new toolkit provides a structured approach to identifying and addressing these challenges.
The development of the Coping with Confinement Toolkit was led by BEVA President Imogen Burrows, supported by BEVA Council members Jenny Hindmarsh, Helen Bickerton and Marie Rippingale, and benefited from Gemma Pearson, Cath Spedding and Ellis Girgis’s expert input.
The resource guides users through the process of creating a bespoke confinement plan for each individual horse, to best accommodate their clinical needs, behavioural requirements and the practical circumstances of their care.
BEVA President Imogen Burrows said: “As our understanding of equine behavioural needs evolves, there is an opportunity to improve how we manage confinement to reduce stress, support recovery and ultimately improve patient welfare.
“Our Coping with Confinement Toolkit provides the practical information and guidance veterinary professionals need to make these potentially physically and mentally challenging situations more manageable and bearable for both horses and the people caring for them.”
The Coping with Confinement Toolkit is available online here: https://www.beva.org.uk/resources/coping-with-confinement/
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