Janine is an Equine veterinarian, Licensed in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery through the University of Zaragoza Spain 1995; Post graduate certificate in Equestrian performance with a focus on Equine Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Hartpury ,UK; Associate Diploma in Equitation Science ESI-Education, Australia; Equine Canadá Certified Competition Coach and author of the book “Applied Equine Ethology in the Clinical Environment”2023.

Core team member of Project eHorse in collaboration with the European Union consortium Lifewatch Eric and the Foundation of the University of Alcalá, comprising 3 volumes of the Journal of Animal Law and Interdisciplinary Animal Welfare Studies published in 2024.

In active collaboration with Proyecto Caballo – Beyond Welfarism, Girona, Spain. Reimagining Human-Equine Relationships Through Ethical Awareness and Sustainable Practices.

Equitation science and equine behavioral consultant in Canada (2014-2016), UK (2017-2019) and Spain from 2020 until present. Equine welfare consultant in equestrian studs ranging from semi-feral to elite competition horse herds.

Currently, in addition to her consultancy work, Janine is a Collaborative Professor at Zaragoza University Veterinary Faculty, Lectures regularly at national and international webinars and live conferences and is actively engaged in Equine behaviour and welfare research.

After graduating from the École Nationale Vétérinaire de Lyon, France, in 2002, Marion Desmarchelier worked in mixed practice (small animals, equine and dairy cattle) for a year. After an internship with birds of prey at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Université de Montréal, she completed a one-year internship (IPSAV) in zoological medicine in Saint-Hyacinthe. Following her return from France, she worked for a year in a referral hospital with exotic animals and small animals, while volunteering for a wild bird care center. Marion Desmarchelier then completed a residency program in zoological medicine as well as a master's degree in clinical sciences on pain in birds. She was a Clinical Professor of Wild, Exotic and Zoo Medicine at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island from 2010 to 2014. Subsequently, back in Quebec, she combined her work as a clinician in zoological medicine with a second residency, in animal behavioural medicine. Marion Desmarchelier is a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine (2009), the European College of Zoological Medicine (Zoo Health Management) (2014) and the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (2018). She is an associate editor of the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine and was a contributor to the latest edition of the reference book Fowler's Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine.

Marion’s research interests include studying the impact of training methods on the welfare of therapeutic horses and their coregulation with children on the autistic spectrum. A long time equestrian, Marion enjoys horseback riding and ski joering with her pony mare.

Bio to follow

Bio to follow.

After qualifying from Cambridge University, Pat completed her Ph.D. at the Animal Health Trust into the Equine Rhabdomyolysis Syndrome. She joined the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition (now Waltham Petcare Science Institute) in 1995. As Director of Science for Mars Horsecare and head of the WALTHAM™ Equine Studies Group, she is responsible for their equine research conducted in collaboration with experts at institutes and universities globally. This provides the science behind the SPILLERS™, BUCKEYE™ Nutrition, and WINERGY™ brands. She is also a scientific advisor to MARS EQUESTRIAN™.

Pat is a European Specialist in Veterinary Clinical and Comparative Nutrition, an RCVS recognized specialist in veterinary clinical nutrition (equine), and a British Equine Veterinary Association Past-President. She is also a member of several international society and charity boards and holds, or has held, a number of academic posts within various institutions around the world.

Pat lectures internationally on nutrition as it affects the health, welfare, behaviour, and performance of the horse. She is the author or co-author of over 500 scientific papers, abstracts, and book chapters with recent emphasis on obesity, laminitis, and senior horse nutrition. She was the co-editor for the 2021 Veterinary Clinics of North America Equine Practice on Equine Nutrition and co-authored two chapters including one on ‘What would be good for all veterinarians to know about Equine nutrition'.

Camie Heleski received her Ph.D. in Animal Science with an emphasis in equine behavior and welfare (from Michigan State University); her M.S. was also in Animal Science, with an emphasis in equine nutrition and exercise physiology. She worked at Michigan State University for 25 years as Coordinator of their Horse Management Program. In 2016, she began teaching at the University of Kentucky in the Equine Science and Management program, where she teaches Equine Industry Issues, co-teaches the Equine Senior Capstone course, and also teaches the multi-species Animal Behavior & Welfare class. Her applied research interests revolve around equine behavior and welfare, horse-human interactions, sport horse welfare issues and working equids in developing regions of the world. She has been actively involved with the International Society for Equitation Science as a Council member and Honorary Fellow. One of her recent publications was a co-authored piece in the journal of Sustainability: Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare through the Lens of ‘Social License to Operate—With an Emphasis on a U.S. Perspective. Dr. Heleski was fortunate to grow up on an Arabian horse farm where she helped her family with training, showing, breeding and managing horses. She is currently serving a role on the FEI’s Commission for Equine Ethics and Wellbeing, which is largely related to social license to operate.

Katherine Houpt, V.M.D, Ph.D., received her veterinary degree and her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. Dr Houpt specializes in the treatment of behavior problems of animals, primarily dogs, cats, and horses. She directed the Animal Behavior Clinic and taught at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, where she is James Law Professor of Behavior Medicine, emeritus.

Dr Houpt is the author with Lee Boyd of Przewalski’s Horse: The History and Biology of an Endangered Species and with Margit H. Zeitler-Feicht of Horse Behaviour Explained: Origins, Treatment, and Prevention of Problems. Dr. Houpt has published a textbook titled Domestic Animal Behavior, now in its fifth edition, as well as numerous scientific articles.

Her current research interests are cribbing and pawing. She has ridden and fallen off horses in more countries than most people have visited, and rides her chestnut Arabian Mare and drives her Swedish Gotland pony.

Bio to follow

Dr Sebastian McBride is a Liverpool (BSc.) and Edinburgh (PhD.) graduate who first took up a lectureship position at Aberystwyth in 1996 in what was the Institute of Rural Sciences. He left the Institute in 2005 to extend his research interests in cognitive robotics in the Department of Computer Science (Aberystwyth) and then cognitive neuroscience at the University of Cambridge. He has returned to Aberystwyth University in 2016 to take up an appointment as lecturer in Biosciences.

Dr Sebastian McBride is involved in a number of research projects based around cognition and the neurophysiological control of behaviour. In particular, he is currently working on: animal cognition markers of human neurodegenerative disease, neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning repetitive behavioural disorders and cognitive enrichment in farm and captive animal species.

Andrew is a clinical and forensic ethologist with specialist academic areas in animal cognition, equine learning/training and welfare science.   

As an independent scientist, Andrew has authored and co-authored in excess of 80 research and review papers and conference presentations and 10 horse and elephant training texts. In 2020, he co-authored the most recent Five Domains Model of Animal Welfare, focusing on human-animal interactions. Andrew has been co-winner of the Eureka Science award and the Premio Flambo Award for Animal Welfare (Italian Equestrian Sports Federation). In 2014, he was awarded the John H Daniels Fellowship from the USA National Sporting Library, Virginia and in 2016, he was King Scholar invitee at the University of Arkansas.  

Andrew has dedicated the past couple of decades to teaching evidence-based horse training and management in workshops across Western Europe as well as the USA, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. In doing so, he has coached four Olympic medalists, seven National Equestrian Federations and in 1996 he coached the Indian Eventing team to win its first ever medal in international competition using techniques that he derived from and understanding of equine learning and cognition. Andrew founded and directed the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre in 1995 and is currently the CEO of Equitation Science International. He is Patron of Pony Club Australia and as a former Director, he has instigated a revolutionary syllabus that leads the world in equestrian education for young riders. Andrew is also Founder of the Human-Elephant-Learning Programs Foundation, a not-for-profit charity that delivers evidence-based elephant training, management and conservation education across South and Southeast Asia and is supported there by various government organisations. He is also the Australian representative of the IUCN Asian Elephant Specialist Group. 

A winner of the Advanced section of the famous Gawler Three-Day-Event in 1989, Andrew has enjoyed a decorated and very diverse equestrian sport career. He has represented Australia in three-day eventing and competed in State and National titles in FEI dressage, eventing and showjumping and more recently was Australian National Champion in Tetrathlon in 2018 in the 32+ age group.  

Gemma combines her time between research and outreach as Director of Equine Behaviour at The Horse Trust and running a referral clinic for clinical equine behaviour cases where she is based at the University of Edinburgh.

After working in ambulatory practice Gemma undertook a rotating residency programme in the equine hospital alongside an MScR investigating horse veterinarian interactions.

Subsequently she completed her CCAB (certified clinical animal behaviourist) exam and her PhD thesis ‘Stress in equids undergoing veterinary care and the development of interventions that positively influence the horses’ experience’. As well as continuing with her own research she supervises several students at PhD, MSc and undergraduate level. Subsequently she has been recognised as the first species specific RCVS specialist in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine (Equine).

Gemma is frequently invited to lecture internationally, as a recognised expert in this field and an excellent communicator. One of the most successful projects was filming a series of short YouTube videos with the British Equine Veterinary Association aiming to reduce injury rates when dealing with difficult horses under the ‘Don’t break your vet’ campaign.

In her spare time she has competed up to advanced level endurance on a homebred horse as well as enjoying competing in affiliated dressage and eventing. Currently she is retraining a Thoroughbred recently retired from racing.

Graduated in 2001 from Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen
Certified in Equine Diseases
Int. Cert. Chiropractor, IVCA

Vejle Equine Practice, Partner since 2004

FOCUS AREAS:
Orthopaedics
Biomechanics
Diagnosis and prevention of traumatic lesions and wear in Sport Horses
Systematic training and build-up of the Equine Athlete
PPE
Dressage
Showjumping
Eventing
Icelandic Horses

ADVISOR
Veterinary Consultant Danish Equestrian Federation
National Head Veterinarian, FEI, Denmark

BOARD AND DELEGATE

President of FEEVA

Chair of FEEVA European PPE Committee

Member of Counsil for Equine Hoofcare & Shoeing, Denmark

APPOINTMENTS
Appointed as Expert Adviser to the District Court in Denmark