HEROS announces its first “Equine Education Open Day”
Posted on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 by Sasha Melia
What:Equine Education Open Day
Where: HEROS CHARITY, North Farm Stud, Fawley, Wantage, OX12 9NJ
When: 5th October 11am – 3pm.
HEROS Charity is hosting its first Equine Education Open Day, to highlight the courses which are now available to students at their Wantage base. Parents, teachers and those interested in equine pursuits are all welcome.
- View HEROS Modern Equine Specialist Facilities and new Education Hub.
- Meet the staff and the HEROS horses.
- Find out from experts why a job in the equine industry is a rewarding and exciting one.
- Discover the career opportunities available in the equine industry from taking these courses.
- Have a go on our equisizer(Mechanical horse) and test your riding skills.
In September 2017, HEROS Charity started an Education Programme in recognition of the shortage of stable staff, not only in racing but also across the whole of the equestrian industry. This October, HEROS Education will be entering its second year,thanks to generous support from The Racing Foundation in the form of a grant of £112,000.
Grace Muir, Founder and CEO of HEROS charity, commented:“These are exciting times for HEROS; not only do we retrain and rehome horses when their racing days are over, we will also be using HEROS horses to enable students from all walks of life to learn in a working yard. This is a huge development for the charity. I am so proud of the students we have helped already and I’m very excited about the future. The courses we offer give everyone a chance because they are tailored to suit individual needs, enabling learners to meet their own goals in life. We also hope to address the recruitment challenges facing racing and other equine industries, whilst helping people from all educational backgrounds to become experienced and well trained horsemen/women with rewarding long-term careers. At our Open Day we are looking forward to showcasing our state-of-the-art facilities and introducing our training providers so students, parents and others can see what we have to offer.”
At the Open Day, students will also learn about the HEROS Racing Academy, run in partnership with Abingdon & Witney College. The Academy delivers courses at all levels, and provides a brand new entry point into the horseracing industry.
In addition to the Racing Academy, the charity organises an Apprenticeship scheme in partnership with Myerscough College; this allows students to take part in courses lasting up 18-months whilst working in an equine setting from the outset. This allows them to learn, earn, take examinations and gain work experience all at the same time. Furthermore, HEROS Charity is based near Lambourn, the Valley of the Racehorse, so it is a perfect location for students interested in a future career with horses.
HEROS 1st4Sport qualifications are another popular option; these help learners to gain entry to the other courses. Covering the basics in catching, leading, grooming and rugging up to a Level 1 Diploma in horse care, the qualification provides a perfect basis of knowledge for students to progress onto one of the other programmes at HEROS.
Operating with a strong employability theme, the programmes were developed in discussion with local racehorse trainers to ensure they meet racing industry requirements. However, learners will acquire transferable skills to maximise their chances of success in other spheres as well, even if they decide not to go into racing.This is because HEROS also provides teaching in functional skills (Maths and English and life skills) alongside all their equine courses.
For further details on the HEROS Education Programmes and our Open Day, including dates, schedules and costs please contact education@heroscharity.org or call 01488 638820.
‘Perfect storm’ has heightened Atypical Myopathy risk warns BEVA
Posted on Tuesday, September 25, 2018 by Sasha Melia
Bare pastures and potential hay shortages, coupled with early transatlantic storms blowing seeds from laden sycamore trees, have created the ‘perfect storm’ to increase the risks of atypical myopathy for grazing horses, warns the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). Experts are advising horse owners to take steps now to minimise the risks of this fatal disease.
Atypical myopathy, as a sudden onset of muscle disease has been recognised in horses for over 60 years but its cause, the toxin hypoglyxin A, was not identified until 2013. In the UK, the most common source of the toxin is now known to be the Sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus), a member of the maple tree family. The Box Elder (Acer negundo) is the most common tree to cause the disease in North America. Both trees share the typical helicopter shaped fruit that help to distribute their seeds over long distances, typically several hundred metres, but reportedly up to 4km. The high winds we are experiencing early this autumn can result in greater spread of seeds for the simple reason that they have yet to fall naturally and the high winds will bring down large numbers of seeds over a short duration of time.
“Horses do not typically choose to eat sycamore seeds, however when pastures are bare, there is a greater tendency for them to be ingested as horses are foraging for every last blade of grass,” explains BEVA member Adam Redpath, a member of the team of equine medicine experts working at Nottingham Vet School, who is particularly concerned about the combined disease threats that present this year.
A range of factors affect the amount of toxin in sycamore seeds, meaning the ‘toxic dose’ can vary from less than 100 to several thousand single seeds. Given that each tree can shed over 20,000 fruit, each with two seeds, the amount on pasture can be considerable. In the spring, seedlings represent a risk to horses and can affect hay made from contaminated pasture. Seedlings at the edge of watercourses can also contaminate water supplies, especially when trampled as horses walk across them.
BEVA is urging horse owners to take early steps to prevent the disease by limiting access to sycamore seeds:
Identify trees both around grazed fields as well as those in close proximity. Trees are often easiest to identify in the summer when in full leaf, rather than in the autumn, when leaves have largely fallen. The characteristic maple leaf shape is easy to spot, although if in doubt a test is available from the Royal Veterinary College as a result of work funded by The Horse Trust.
Collect seeds or exclude horses from affected areas using electric fencing or stabling.
Feed supplementary hay to try and prevent horses from excessive foraging for short blades of grass and inadvertent ingestion of seeds. But ensure that hay does not become contaminated by seeds.
Don’t rashly fell trees when laden with seeds as this can cause a sudden and massive contamination of the pasture. Consider local regulations, tree protection orders and tree ownership if felling is the only option.
Monitor horses carefully even after they have been moved from affected pasture as disease can occur up to four days after exposure.
The clinical signs of atypical myopathy vary considerably. Most consistent is the passing of dark brown urine (myoglobinuria) as a result of muscle breakdown. Horses usually become weak and reluctant to move and may lay down, but usually have a normal or increased appetite. In the most severe case the horse will develop very severe colic-like signs as a result of significant pain. In some horses the severity of muscle pain leads to euthanasia on welfare grounds. These signs occur as a result of the active toxin which prevents muscles from undergoing normal energy metabolism. It can affect all muscles in the body including the respiratory muscles and heart.
“Early veterinary intervention is essential to achieve a favourable outcome,” explains Adam. You should contact your vet immediately if you spot any of the signs. Check your fields for sycamore seeds as this will help your vet to make a rapid diagnosis. Specific blood tests have been developed to both measure exposure to the toxin and to make a diagnosis, thanks to research funding from The Horse Trust.”
For tree identification see http://www.tree-guide.com/
