VAC09

WORLD HORSE WELFARE VETERINARY UNDERGRADUATE BURSARY SCHEME 2017

World Horse Welfare Options 2017

  1. International overview

There are an estimated 100 million working equines around the world that fuel the economies of Africa, Latin America and Asia. Many of these equines suffer due to the effects of poverty, a lack of knowledge and the absence of in-country legislation to protect them.

Our International teams work with local partner organisations in equine owning communities to assess and understand the challenges faced. They work directly with owners and service providers, such as farriers, saddlers and veterinarians to raise standards of care, skills and knowledge to improve welfare and the livelihoods of those dependent upon them.

  1. Travel options

Potential applicants can suggest subjects they wish to research that are relevant to current working equine welfare issues or that may benefit working equines. Subject to safety and security, research will be considered in a number of our International programme countries including, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Senegal and South Africa. For further information about our International work, visit:

  1. Costings

Approximate costings for each programme are based on 2016prices and subject to change. A return flight from the UK to any of our programme countries will cost an average of £1,000, food and accommodation will cost approximately £70 per day and in-country transport costs £150.

  1. Research suggestions

•Tick burden associated with body condition/disease symptoms

•Worm burden associated with body condition

•Injuries caused by ill-fitting tack and harnesses

•Prevalence of colic in working equines and awareness amongst owners

•Prevalence of disease in working equines and awareness amongst owners

•Nutrition

•Lameness

•Vampire bat bites prevalence correlated with signs of illness

Please see examples of previous undergraduate research on our website:

  1. UK options

World Horse Welfare has four Recovery and Rehabilitation Centres sited in:

  • Norfolk: Hall Farm, Snetterton
  • Lancashire: Penny Farm, Blackpool
  • Somerset: Glenda Spooner Farm, Kingsdon
  • Aberdeenshire: Belwade Farm, Aboyne

The work of the Centres is to rehabilitate and rehome the welfare cases that come into them. This process involves a team approach involving a number of specialists and a wide range of problems are successfully dealt with. World Horse Welfare currently has over 1600 horses, ponies and donkeys out on loan to approved homes. Please see:

We also have excellent links with Veterinary Schools and practices across the UK. Previous recipients of bursaries have carried out research into laminitis, obesity and farriery topics. World Horse Welfare has also sponsored numerous research projects and we currently have on-going work looking at equine welfare issues across the UK.

Potential applicants can suggest topics they wish to research that are relevant to current equine welfare issues or that may benefit horses by improving knowledge of management or assessment of diseases or conditions.

The research can be undertaken anywhere in the UK and assistance at World Horse Welfare Centres is available if required.

WHW/UGB2017/260416

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