Welfare focus for new BEVA president

The British Equine Veterinary Association’s (BEVA) new president, Chris House, plans to focus on improving horse welfare during his year-long term of office.

Mr House, 54, is a senior partner in House and Jackson, a 12-vet practice in Essex he co-founded in 1980. He joined the BEVA council eight years ago and became president at the start of this year.

“My main interest in practice is stud work, I do a lot of artificial insemination,” he told H&H.

“My work with BEVA has been mainly concerning insurance, welfare and farriery.”

Mr House is a member of both the Farriers Registration Council (FRC) and the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC).

“For the NEWC, I chair a committee on the promotion of the licensing of livery yards and reform of the Animal Welfare Act,” he said. “This is unlikely to make the statute books in 2009, but I hope we can make strides in pushing it forward this year.”

Mr House also sits on a committee looking at the regulation of barefoot farriery.

“We have a meeting in February to look at the proper regulation of the industry, to try to set out occupational standards,” he said.

Mr House is a regular with the Essex hunt, of which he is a committee member.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (22 January, ’09)

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