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Veterinary Ethics in Equestrian Sports
Species

Equine

Contact Hours

3 Hours - RACE Approval Pending

Language

English

Discipline

Anaesthesia & Pain Management

Other

Practice/Business Management

Sports Medicine

Surgery

Veterinary Partner

Equine

Recorded: 13th August 2024
                                                  

Panelists:

Dominik Burger   Dr.Med.Vet - UniBe, Swiss Institute Of Equine Medicine, Switzerland
Barbara Crabbe   DVM - Echo Consulting, USA
Melanie de Schaetzen   DVM - DAP M De Schaetzen, Belgium
                                                  

Moderator:

Madeleine Campbell   BVetMed(Hons), MA(Oxon), MA (Keele), PGCertVetEd, PhD, DECAR, DECAWBM (AWSEL), FHEA, FRCVS - Nottingham University, UK

 

PANEL DISCUSSION DESCRIPTION

Public concern about the use of animals in sport and the challenge to the social licence for that use have been increasing in recent years. Events in the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics put equestrian sport under even more scrutiny. Some (including some within the Veterinary Profession) have started to challenge the traditional view of equine Vets as safe guarders of equine welfare, and to suggest instead that they are facilitators of the human use of animals which should no longer be considered acceptable. 


  • What is the role of equine veterinary surgeons inside and outside of competition? 
  • Is there a distinction between Vets being 'champions of animal welfare' or 'advocates of animal rights'? 
  • Are equine vets themselves entirely comfortable with their roles and with the way in which equestrian sport is currently organised? 


Join Professor Madeleine Campbell and internationally experienced sport horse veterinarians Dr Dominik Burger, Dr Barbara Crabbe and Dr Melanie de Schaetzen for a challenging, frank discussion of these and related questions.

Dominik graduated from the University of Berne in 1988 and worked there at the Equine Clinic primarily in the field of equine medicine and exercise physiology. From 1992 to 2011 he was based at the Swiss National Stud in Avenches, responsible for the Research Program, the EU accredited Equine Reproduction Unit and the associated Equine Clinic with its ambulatory service at the racetrack of IENA. Since 1 January 2012 he has worked in the new ISME combining the equine clinics of the Vetsuisse Faculty Berne and Avenches, where he is responsible for the Swiss Equine Research Network. He was President of the Veterinary Commissions of the Breeding association for Swiss sport horses 2005–2012. As an ex-eventing rider, Dominik Burger retains a strong interest in sport horses and holds the position of team vet in both the Swiss eventing and endurance teams. Since 1992 he has been involved in the training and management of their horses at the European and World Championships as well as several Olympic games.

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Madeleine is a RCVS and European EBVS Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law. She is Professor of Veterinary Ethics at Nottingham University School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, currently Chairs the independent Animal Welfare Committee which advises Defra and the Scottish and Welsh governments, and through a number of appointments provides advice to various organisations including the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, the British Equestrian Federation and the British Horseracing Authority. Madeleine's clinical background is in veterinary reproduction, and her research interests include the ethical issues surrounding the use of assisted reproductive technologies in non-human animals, and the use of non-human animals in competitive sport.

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Dr. Crabbe is a graduate of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and completed an internship in large animal medicine and surgery at Washington State University. While at UC Davis she did graduate work in biomechanics studying patterns of locomotion in exercising horses.

Dr. Crabbe spent 30 years as a private practitioner and the owner of Pacific Crest Sporthorse, a 3-doctor general equine practice in Oregon, where she had a special interest in performance horse medicine.  She is an FEI official veterinarian in Dressage and Jumping, and served on the treatment team for the 2018 World Equestrian Games.

In early 2023, Dr. Crabbe transitioned her practice to her two long-term associates in order to pursue her passion for ethics in veterinary medicine and completed a Master’s degree in Bioethics from the Neiswanger Institute of Bioethics at the Stritch School of Medicine of Loyola University, Chicago where she is currently enrolled in a doctoral program.  She serves on the AVMA’s Counsel on Veterinary Services and the AAEP’s Ethics and Professional Conduct committee and was chairman of the committee responsible for a recent overhaul of the AVMA’s Principle’s of Veterinary Medical Ethics

Dr. Crabbe is a frequent contributor to a wide variety of horse publications and her articles have won numerous American Horse Publications awards. Her book Comprehensive Guide to Equine Veterinary Medicine was published in 2007 by Sterling Publishing in New York. She is an avid dressage rider and USDF silver medalist and has won a multiple USDF regional championships as well as Horse of the Year titles. In addition, she is a graduate with distinction from the USDF-L judges program.

She lives on a farm outside of Portland, Oregon with her husband Bob, a veterinary internal medicine specialist.  They have two girls who are almost fully launched, and currently focus their attention on four dogs, a cat, and four horses.

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Melanie, a dual Belgian-USA citizen completed in 2005 a degree in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences University of Liege. Subsequently she completed an equine internship at the Royal veterinary College in London. During this internship she also passed the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) licensing her to practice veterinary medicine in the US and Canada. Upon completion of her internship, she joined a private practice in Cheshire U.K where she worked for several years. In 2010 she opened her private practice in Belgium specialising in pre-purchase exams and orthopaedics for sport horses for local and cross Atlantic clients for horses in the EU.In  2015 she was asked to become one of the team veterinarian for the  Belgian equestrian team. In that capacity she has accompanied the team to multiple CSI and CDI events including the 2018 World equestrian games held in Tryon, 2020 Olympic Games held in Tokyo and the 2022 World equestrian games held in Herning.

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