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Vets debate pros and cons of corporatisation
BEVA Congress is Europe’s largest equine veterinary conference.
Session takes place at BEVA Congress 

The pros and cons of the growing trend of corporatisation of equine practices will be debated at this year’s BEVA Congress.

Conducted in a Moral Maze style, the session takes place on Friday 15 September with panellists and witnesses arguing for and against the viewpoint ‘Corporatisation is inevitable and will benefit vets and their clients’.

The argument for corporatisation is that, besides the obvious commercial and business advantages, their scale and diversity can give vets greater potential for a more flexible career path and advancement within the industry.

But those against corporatisation say that it removes any opportunity to buy into ownership and it reduces decision-making ability because of adherence to corporate procedures. They also claim that corporatisation brings extra paperwork and longer approval processes.

The Moral Maze style of debate follows the format of the popular Radio 4 discussion programme. Moderated by Dr Madeleine Campbell, a recognised specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Keith Chandler and Karl Holliman will argue for corporatisation while Andrew Harrison and Tim Greet will be against. They will call upon a series of ‘witnesses’ for detailed questioning before debating the topic more broadly.

“The auditorium is usually full to bursting for our Moral Maze sessions because they bring a broader and more engaging dimension to important topics,” said David Mountford, chief executive of BEVA. “The statement Corporatisation of equine practices is inevitable and will benefit vets and their clients is bound to generate some stimulating and possibly heated debate.”

BEVA Congress is Europe’s largest equine veterinary conference. This year it takes place at Liverpool Arena Convention Centre from 13-16 September and includes an exciting line-up of ‘big cheese’ speakers, extensive CPD quality science and novel demonstrations. To find out more, visit www.beva.org.uk.

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
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NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.