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BEVA welcomes new president
During his term as president Dr Pycock hopes to celebrate the positives of working as an equine veterinary professional.
VDS claims consultant inaugurated at congress

Jonathan Pycock of the Veterinary Defence Society (VDS) has been appointed as president of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA).

Equine claims consultant Dr Pycock will take up his role at the end of BEVA Congress (13-16 September), taking over from Vicki Nicholls. Renate Weller will become president elect.

A graduate of the Royal Veterinary College (RVC),
Dr Pycock has been heavily involved in the BEVA’s clinical practice and ethics and welfare committees since joining the council for the second time in 2014.

During his term as president he hopes to celebrate the positives of working as an equine veterinary professional. He hopes to help members to achieve work/life balance, encouraging active participation in the association, as well as developing relationships between the BEVA and other equine organisations worldwide. He also wants to highlight the shortfall in research on equine reproduction and promote interest in this area.

He commented: “I feel honoured and privileged to have been given the opportunity to be BEVA president. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly. I am well up for doing my best and am 100 per cent ready for the challenging and exciting year ahead.”

Dr Pycock has a PhD in mare gynaecology. After working for private equine practices in the UK and the Southern Hemisphere, he took a job as assistant professor at the University of Utrecht Veterinary School in the Netherlands.

He set up his own equine practice in 1996 before selling the business to colleagues when he took on his current role at the VDS. He also lectures globally on equine reproduction and avoiding litigation in equine practices.

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Strangles survey seeks views of horse owners

News Story 1
 With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.

The survey, which has been designed by Dechra, aims to raise awareness of Strangles and promote best practices to prevent its transmission. It includes questions about horse owners' experiences of strangles, together with preventative measures and vaccination.

Respondents to the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win two VIP tickets to Your Horse Live 2025. To access the survey, click here 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
DAERA to reduce BVD 'grace period'

DAERA has reminded herd keepers of an upcoming reduction to the 'grace period' to avoid BVD herd restrictions.

From 1 May 2025, herd keepers will have seven days to cull any BVD positive or inconclusive animals to avoid restrictions being applied to their herd.

It follows legislation introduced on 1 February, as DAERA introduces herd movement restrictions through a phased approach. Herd keepers originally had 28 days to cull BVD positive or inconclusive animals.

DAERA says that, providing herd keepers use the seven-day grace period, no herds should be restricted within the first year of these measures.

Additional measures, which will target herds with animals over 30 days old that haven't been tested for BVD, will be introduced from 1 June 2025.

More information is available on the DAERA website.