Emily King, Mary King and Yazmin Pinchen are taking part in lifesaving horse survey NEHS. Will you join them?
International showjumper Yazmin Pinchen, Veteran eventer Mary King and her daughter, British event rider Emily King, are all backing a scheme to improve the health and wellbeing of horses across the UK.
The National Equine Health Survey (NEHS) is the only study of its kind which identifies trends in the health and welfare of the UK’s horses, ponies, donkeys and mules.
This year’s NEHS survey runs from 21 - 28 May and all equine owners are encouraged to take part. Meet the horse celebrities who are signed up and hope you are too…
Mary King, who is pictured on Blue Cross horse Taran, explained why she’s encouraging all horse owners to join in the important survey: “I admire the incredible work Blue Cross does caring for abandoned and homeless horses and I am honoured to be supporting them this year with their National Equine Health Survey.
“The health and happiness of our equine population is of great importance to me, and Blue Cross’s NEHS survey is the only one of its kind that helps us gain a true understanding of the state of our nation’s horses to help improve their welfare. Me and my horses will be taking part this year, and I really hope you do too.”
British event rider Emily King, met Blue Cross horse Mario when she visited our Burford rehoming centre to launch NEHS 2018. Emily said: “I adore all my horses, they are unique and characterful individuals.
"That is why I prioritise their health and happiness and why it is important to me to take part in the annual NEHS Survey as all horse lovers nationwide can help establish a true picture of equine health in this country and safeguard our four legged friends in the future.”
International showjumper Yazmin Pinchen is calling on fellow horse lovers to get involved and safeguard the health of the nations’ horse. Yazmin said: “Horses are a huge part of my life and have helped me achieve so much. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am now.
“We all love our horses and we owe it to them to take the best possible care of their health. It’s such a great honour to support Blue Cross with their National Equine Health Survey. It is helping us to understand so much more about equine health. By taking part in the survey you will be helping the experts paint a much clearer picture about the main health problems affecting our horses. This knowledge will help us to keep horses safe, healthy and happy, wherever they are."
The NEHS survey is run by Blue Cross in partnership with the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). The survey findings are analysed by the Royal Veterinary College and BEVA.
Since the survey began in 2010, the results have been used to make great strides in improving the health of the country’s horses, for instance:
- The results reveal the most common equine ailments, helping veterinary professionals to make faster diagnoses which, in turn, lead to more positive outcomes for horses
- Blue Cross has been able to run highly targeted and effective education programmes based on some of the findings e.g. informing owners of the dangers of atypical myopathy, an illness usually found in grazing horses which weakens the muscles of the body, and how to mitigate against it to help reduce instances of the potentially fatal condition
- Academics have been able to use the findings in support of wider research to inform best practice
Last year 5,235 people took part in the survey and returned records for 15,433 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules and the top five disease syndromes recorded were skin diseases (31.1%), lameness (23.4%), metabolic diseases (8.1%), eye problems (7.6%) and gastrointestinal problems (7.5%).
NEHS takes place during 21 - 28 May 2018. Horse, pony, donkey and mule owners can take part online quickly, easy and anonymously.