Equine Research

Many staff at the College are actively involved in research and we take particular pride in our research in the equine field.

Current Research Areas

Current areas of equine research include:

• Stride characteristics of different breeds of native ponies
• Horse and rider heat acclimation in preparation for the Olympic Games, Athens
• Clinical behaviour of young horses
• Gait analysis
• Equine osteopathy, therapy and rehabilitation
• Equine respiratory disease
• Equine back-interface pressures and their relationship to gait
• Parasitology in domestic and exotic equids
• Equine dentistry
• Rider performance

Links with Industry and Research Institutions

The College also carries out research for industry and collaborates with other research institutions on a range of equine projects.

Among our collaborators are:

• Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition
• Dodson and Horrell
• C and H Nutrition
• Animal Health Trust
• British Equestrian Federation
• Vet Plus
• University of Bristol
• University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre
• University of Gloucestershire

Student Research

Final year BSc (Hons) and MSc students undertake an equine related research project. Many of these projects are based at Hartpury, where students work on research projects with staff, or are carried out in collaboration with various research institutions in the UK and Europe. Examples of student projects include research on equine osteopathy, therapy and rehabilitation, equine anaesthesia and other clinical projects with veterinary practices, equine recurrent airway obstruction, saddle-back interface pressures, behaviour, dentistry, gait analysis and orthopaedic research.

Students are also able to carry out their research overseas. Examples of recent research projects include equine gait analysis in USA, equine exercise physiology in Australia and horse feeding trials in Spain.

Student research at Hartpury College is of a very high standard and we are proud to have had a student in the finals of the Eqvalan Thesis of the Year competition for the last four years. This prestigious event is hosted annually by The Royal Agricultural Society of England. In 2001, Hartpury student, Helen Jacks, won the award with a thesis entitled "The Effect of Unilateral Laterocaudal Tungsten-Carbide Stud Nails on Equine Mediolateral Hoof Balance" and in 2002, Hartpury student, Lynne Uttley won with her work entitled "A study to determine whether the use of electrical grinding equipment on equine cheek teeth can initiate a rise in temperature sufficient to cause thermal damage".