EqUinology’s nEW instrUCtors prison tiME For WoMAn sEntEnCED

For CrUElty oFFEnCEs

Equinology, INC has offered courses in Australia since 1994 and New Zealand since 2002, with two new instructors recently joining the team. Dr. Raquel Butler will take over teaching the signature EQ100: Equinology© Equine Body Worker Certification Course for Equinology’s CEO, Debranne Pattillo, MEEBW. Dr. Butler (who Hoofbeats readers will be familiar with as she’s written many articles for the magazine) is scheduled to lead her first course with Debranne at the Western Australia EQ100 presentation in November 2023.

Dr.Butler graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) from Melbourne University in 2004, working in mixed practice in Australia and overseas for eight years before branching into Integrated Veterinary Therapeutics. She holds numerous qualifications, such as an Equine Muscle Release Therapy (EMRT) practitioner and a Graduate Diploma in Animal Biomechanical Medicine encompassing chiropractic and osteopathic and rehabilitation techniques. Targeting her teaching skill by earning a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in 2022 and a Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education in 2020, she has studied many therapies, including CranioSacral, Equinology Approach, Masterson Method, Acupuncture Oriented Energetics, Myofascial Acupuncture and is currently completing a Graduate Diploma in Animal Acupuncture. Raquel teaches clinics covering equine anatomy, biomechanics, postural development and Vetkin taping, and has spent over five years teaching subjects relating to equine disease, injury, rehabilitation, locomotion and exercise physiology for the Bachelor Equine Science Program at Charles Sturt University, and Equinology plans to implement more courses aimed at Dr. Butler’s vast repertoire.

Megan Kanz MEEBW, BSc (Equine Studies), has worked with Equinology for many years, her relationship with Equinology and bodywork beginning in England in 2002. She brought Equinology to South Africa in 2004. After emigrating to New Zealand in 2010 she continued teaching for Equinology in NZ and flew to South Africa to teach.

Megan has taught the EQ100: Equinology® Equine Body Worker Certification and EQ400: Equine Stretching courses. She has brought many specialist lecturers, veterinarians, and physical therapists to SA for the first time. She enjoys the EQ900 Equine Anatomy Discovery Workshop (Clay and Hands-On) and is natural to take over the presentation of this course for Debranne Pattillo. She will be co-teaching with Debranne at the Nov. 13-19 course in South Australia.

Equinology’s CEO Debranne Pattillo will continue to teach the EQ103 Advanced Equine Body Work and Introduction to Spinal Mobilisation with Dr. Nicole Rombach. The dates for Australia and New Zealand are available at www.equinologyaustralia.com and www.equinologynz.com.

After being convicted of animal cruelty offences and failing to comply with a court order restricting her ownership of horses, Janice Louise Denny from Tantawangalo, NSW, was sentenced to 15 months in prison, with a non-parole period of six months in March 2023. She was also ordered to pay $452,623 in animal care costs to the RSPCA, $23,288 in court costs and disqualified from owning a horse or pony for ten years. The ABC reported that the Bega Local Court Magistrate Doug Dick told the court that Denny had a long history of animal cruelty and had caused a grey pony mare “unpardonable suffering”. In 2021 she was found guilty of neglecting more than 40 horses in her care, convicted in November 2021 of six charges, including being in charge of an animal and failing to provide vet treatment, and failing to provide proper and sufficient food to an animal. Described by the magistrate in 2021 as a “repeat offender”, the offences took place at properties in Tantawangalo, Candelo and Wolumla in 2020, impacting 43 horses.

AniMAl EMErgEnCy ConFErEnCE

The Animal Emergency Incident Management ANZ will be holding their annual conference in NSW the 5th and 6th May. With the theme, Not if, but when: preparing for your next animal emergency incident, the program addresses scaling up from individual animal incidents to natural disasters, the role of vets on the scene, racing and equestrian sports settings, and practical sessions on incident management and rescue techniques including the use of slings, lifts and bow-loaders. The conference is for officials, competition organisers and supporting vets who may be responsible for incident response at events. Details are available at www.aeimanz.org/conferencemay2023

tACkling WorM rEsistAnCE

With wormer resistance posing a threat to horse health and the equine industry a world-first new pan-industry group has been formed to tackle the problem. Termed CANTER to communicate the urgency of its crusade, it brings together the widest reaches of the sector, including experts in the field across prescribers, diagnostic providers, pharmaceutical companies, trade organisations, technical experts, horse owners, charities, and policy makers. All recognise the critical consequences of antiparasitic resistance and the need for coordinated action to slow the development and maintain the efficacy of the limited treatments. The aim for CANTER is to support a consistent approach to parasite control across the equine community and to become a ‘single source of truth’ on issues related to antiparasitic resistance in equines, in an area that has traditionally seen some mixed messaging.

Evidence-based guidance and information on sustainable, responsible, and practical strategies for parasite control in equines will be available. A research arm has been formed to identify knowledge gaps and opportunities and a communication strategy is being developed to disseminate this information.

Anthelmintic resistance represents a huge threat to equine health and welfare, and the adoption of a diagnostic-led approach to parasite control and a reduction in the use of anthelmintics is needed. “If horse owners don’t make these changes now, it will be too late.”