Conference theme: Ethical Equitation for All Equestrian Disciplines – Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges

Scientific sessions

• Equine temperament and emotion – assessing and predicting
• The therapeutic riding horse – stress behaviours and biomechanics
• Horse welfare – the working equid, husbandry practices and attitudes among various riding disciplines, including the FEI
• Riders – core fitness, position, personality, health, motivation, handedness, adult newcomers, elite athlete development and the role of the coach
• Training systems – target training, transition training, neck lowering, hyperflexion, artificial aids and round penning
• Equipment & restraint devices – martingales, bitless bridles, saddle pads and nose twitches
• Selecting a horse for police work; behaviour as a veterinary patient
• Competition performance – sleep patterns, injury in eventing and a review of the dressage scoring system.