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Vets sought for equine grass sickness project
Vet practices are being urged to assist the project with any EGS cases they have,

Fellowship aims to establish a national database and sample biobank.

Vets are being invited to assist with an innovative project to discover the causes of equine grass sickness (EGS).

The project is being led by The Moredun Foundation Equine Grass Sickness Fund to create a national EGS sample biobank and database.
It follows the launch of a three-year Fellowship to breathe fresh thinking and multi-disciplinary approaches into EGS research. 

As part of the project, researchers are calling on veterinary practices to assist them with sample collection (pre-and post-mortem) of any EGS cases they have.

With funding from the British Horse Society, sample packs, protocols and return postage boxes will be provided to all participating vets practices. Funding is also available for vets to apply for a set fee to cover their time. 

Participating practices will be able to get involved with the project through practice or regional meetings and will be kept updated with progress as the fellowship progresses. 
Those wishing to take part can register for a webinar scheduled for Tuesday 23 March at 7.30 pm.

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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...
News Shorts
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.