Plans for the 2018 International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) conference are underway, and organizers are hoping to invite some first-time guests into the lectures this year: horses.

Conference organizer Angelo Telatin, PhD, said having horses in the lecture halls will make the science really pertinent to all participants—fellow researchers, trainers, and horse owners alike.

“If we can have the horse right next to us during our presentations, we can really see, in real-time, what we’re talking about when we’re describing the effects of rein tension, for example,” he said. “Or we can compare body condition scores on live horses, right there for all participants to see for themselves. Or we can demonstrate principles of learning theory, showing how a horse might learn something new within a few minutes.”

Having horses in the conference room also would allow participants to get active, real-time answers to many of their practical questions, Telatin said: “What if we did this, or what if we did that? If the horse is right there, well, we can just find out