ISES October Newsletter

It’s hard to believe that a year has gone by since I took up the role of honorary president. I am very grateful to my junior and senior vice presidents for all their support and extra eyes and hands, along with the council and trustees who work together to promote equitation science. We have worked through a risk assessment and a policy and procedures manual for the society.

One area that we recognize we need help is with IT. If there is an information guru out there who would be interested in volunteering their time to perform an overview of our software platforms and technical operating procedures, particularly in relation to information safeguarding we would be very grateful. Feel free to reach out to [email protected]

I am very excited and have already bought my plane ticket to attend our ISES conference in New Zealand from March 14-16, 2024. Abstract submission is open until October 31 with a number of specific themes all reflecting “A good life for horses.” ISES has also dedicated £5000 toward travel grants to assist with the financial burden for anyone interested in attending the conference. You can find out more information and fill out an application form here.

Sponsorship is another way that helps us keep the costs of the conference down. If you are interested in sponsoring the conference you can find the details here.

We are always looking for host sites for upcoming conferences. We’ve had some interest from the USA and Iceland – it’s always a great opportunity to travel to new and exciting places! Find out more about what is involved by reading our conference guidelines.

Member appreciation!

I am always thrilled to hear about how our members incorporate equitation science into what they do. Kathy Jackson, an ISES member residing on the west coast of Canada, put her efforts into writing a children’s book on equitation science. “Mom I want to ride” is a story about 10 year old Tom and his learning and riding adventures with his mom. It covers the 10 Training Principles, how they are used and how important they are. Erica Sutfin provided the illustrations for the book and both Kathy and Erica are working on a second book based on how shaping is used as Tom and his mom go off to camp. Their new book should be available just in time for Christmas.

“ISES provides more and more peer reviewed science for us to learn and pass along. It’s been a fascinating journey learning from such dedicated scientists, showing us all a better way to train and keep our horses. It is our hope that through our books, we can encourage a new generation of horse enthusiasts to understand that better welfare and training is key to ensuring long, happy, productive lives for all horses.” - Kathy Jackson

Win a taper gauge!

Don’t forget that ISES members have access to a member logo. I challenge each of you to send a photo of how creative you can be using your member logo to [email protected]. We will post the photos on our socials and use an audience poll to determine who will win a noseband taper gauge. If you don’t have your logo, email [email protected] to request yours.

Annual report

And finally, we have filed our annual report with the Charity Commission of the UK and Wales (which we operate under). Our report has a new look and we hope you appreciate what your society has accomplished over the past year. You can read the report here.

Remember to regularly check out the member’s area on our website for lots of cool news and information.

Problem behaviours in horses survey

Dr Orla Doherty is gathering data on the impact of problem behaviors in horses on riders, handlers, and those working with horses, along with their strategies for addressing these issues. Dr Doherty is a Veterinary Surgeon, graduated from UCD in 1992, and obtained a Master's Degree in Animal Behavior and Welfare from Edinburgh University in 1993. She established the Animal Behavior Clinic in 1994 and has been addressing behavior issues in animals across the country. She kindly requests that participants take a moment to complete the survey and, more importantly, share it with individuals or groups connected to horses outside of ISES. The survey results will be publicly disclosed, and any additional insights on this subject are greatly appreciated. Click here to participate.

Ride safe!

ISES October Newsletter

Member appreciation!

Win a taper gauge!

Annual report

Problem behaviours in horses survey

Join Our Free Trial