A new on-site temporary veterinary suite designed to give a better space for horses to be looked after and for vets to work in is popping up at events this year.
BEDE Events, which runs multiple horse trials, has entered a long-term partnership with temporary stabling provider Woodhouse. This includes looking at temporary stabling through the lens of horse welfare and wellbeing, including the environment around them, how they are designed, built, prepared, managed and used at events.
The new veterinary suite is part of this partnership. It was in place for the first time at The Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby (3 to 5 April) and will be used at all BEDE’s international fixtures this year, including both Aspen Cooling Osberton International fixtures (22 to 24 May and 1 to 4 October).
It features an office space, for privacy and a place for vets to do paperwork, four stables for treatment, isolation and testing, plus a covered tie-up area for investigation work.
“This is about recognising that temporary stabling isn’t just a background part of an event. It directly affects how horses settle, recover and perform,” said Woodhouse owner and managing director Dan Hassall Woodhouse.
“There’s still a tendency to treat temporary stabling as something that just needs to be there. In reality, it has a direct impact on horse welfare, and that comes down to how those spaces are set up and managed, not just that they exist.
“Working with BEDE, there’s a clear alignment in how we approach that. We’re focused on getting the environment right for horses, and this partnership allows that to be delivered consistently across their events.”
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BEDE events director Stuart Buntine added: “We’ve worked with Dan and the Woodhouse team for several years now and not only have great faith and trust in the product but also the service they deliver. Our shared vision on equine welfare is one we want to build upon and share with our competitors.
“At Thoresby we unveiled our new veterinary suite, an area that gives our vets adequate space and privacy to work and also gives horses that may require treatment or testing the quiet that is needed. This will now be a regular feature at all BEDE international fixtures, much to the benefit of our competitors.”
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
