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Equine charity announces cost of living webinar
The webinar will guide horse owners through where they can look to save money.
The event will explore how horse owners can save money without compromising care.

World Horse Welfare (WHW) has announced a free webinar looking at how owners of horses can reduce costs while still maintaining high standards of care for their animals.

The event, Cutting costs, not care, takes place on Wednesday, 4 January and will see experts from BEVA, Blue Cross, and WHW discuss the cost-of-living crisis and how owners can cope with the spiralling expenses of feed, bedding and services. 

Presenters include equine vet Lucy Grieve, veterinary projects officer at BEVA, Ruth Court, horse welfare manager at Blue Cross, and Rachel Andrews, one of 17 field officers at WHW.

A WHW spokesperson said: “We are all very aware of how expensive horses are to keep and we, as owners, often feel that the costs associated with their care spiral constantly upwards – more so than ever with the increasing costs of feed, bedding, and services we are currently experiencing. 

“Lucy, Ruth and Rachel will guide us through areas where we can look to save money as well as highlighting where scrimping could impact the health and welfare of our horses. As always, the team will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have at the end of the webinar.”

The webinar takes place on Zoom at 7 pm and can also be viewed as a Facebook Live session. To register and take part in the conversation, visit worldhorsewelfare.zoom.us

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.