NOTICE: International Society for Equitation Science Hartpury Conference 2020 postponed to 2021
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hartpury University’s Local Conference Organising Committee together with ISES Council, have decided to postpone this summer’s planned ISES Conference. The conference will be rescheduled for summer 2021 and we will publish further details regarding revised dates in the near future.
Whilst we are saddened to have had to postpone the conference, we are sure you all not only understand but also fully support this decision in light of the ongoing Covid-19 situation worldwide and the impact this is currently having, and will continue to have on our communities for the immediate future.
We are all going through incredibly difficult and challenging times, and we hope you and your families and friends stay safe and well, and look forward to catching up for happier times next summer at Hartpury.
Orla, Rosie and Jane
- Orla Doherty, President International Society for Equitation Science
- Rosie Scott-Ward, Co-Chair, Hartpury Local Conference Organising Committee; Pro Vice Chancellor Hartpury University
- Jane Williams, Co-Chair Hartpury Local Conference Organising Committee, Junior Vice President International Society for Equitation Science
Welcome!
The International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) is a not-for-profit organisation that chiefly aims to facilitate research into the training of horses to enhance horse welfare and improve the horse–rider relationship.
ISES runs international conferences that serve as platforms where the latest research findings and their application in practice can be communicated and discussed. ISES also provides a pool of expertise for international bodies and academic institutions that approach ISES with questions related to horse behaviour, training and welfare.
ISES Mission
The Mission of ISES is to promote and encourage the application of objective research and consequently advance equestrian practice that will ultimately improve the welfare of horses in their interactions with humans.
What is Equitation Science?
Equitation science promotes an objective, evidence-based understanding of the welfare of horses during training and competition by applying valid, quantitative scientific methods that can identify what training techniques are ineffective or may result in equine suffering. Equitation Science uses a multidisciplinary approach to explain horse training, for example from a learning theory perspective that removes anthropomorphism and emotiveness.
Read more about the 'Advent of Equitation Science' – by P. McGreevy
Why do we need Equitation Science and ISES?
Equitation Science has the potential to address a series of important problems. First, it elucidates the role of negative reinforcement and habituation in the learning processes of horses on which we ride and compete. Second, it addresses the need to measure rider interventions that may compromise horse welfare, which will assist the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) in determining what practices and interventions are acceptable on welfare grounds. Third, and perhaps most important, Equitation Science will educate current and aspiring riders in how best to apply the core principles of learning theory.
Membership
ISES was founded by individuals from various equine fields of knowledge in 2007. Since then, Equitation Science has developed rapidly, not least because of the growing worldwide interest in this area among equestrian professionals and academics alike. ISES now unites a multidisciplinary membership of academics, students and interested practitioners worldwide.
Become a member of ISES and benefit from reduced registration fees for international conferences, and access to the members-only area that facilitates communication among members from around the world, provides resource materials for teaching and keeps you informed about the latest employment opportunities and news related to equitation and equine welfare.
Membership categories:
- Academic Membership
- Practitioner Membership
- Student Membership
- Supporter Membership
- Corporate Membership
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Head over to the ISES YouTube channel to view videos of previous conference presentations and practical demonstrations.
After many months working with designers and injection moulding product manufacturers, the ISES Noseband Taper Gauge is finally a reality, with 500 gauges having been manufactured, and now available to ship to you wherever you are in the world. Click through for more details and ordering.
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ISES Mission
The Mission of ISES is to promote and encourage the application of objective research and consequently advance equestrian practice that will ultimately improve the welfare of horses in their interactions with humans.
The idea of founding a society devoted to Equitation Science had first been raised during discussions at the Havemeyer Foundation Workshop on Horse Behavior and Welfare in Iceland in 2002. The following year, a satellite meeting on horse welfare was held at the International Society…
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