The program explored the latest findings on health and welfare aspects of the horse and rider relationship, from new techniques in equine pain recognition to rider posture and equine biomechanics. | Photo: Alexandra Beckstett/The Horse

The third Saddle Research Trust Conference took place Dec. 8 in Nottingham, U.K. Organizers said delegates and speakers lauded the event as a valuable, educational, and unifying conference for the equestrian industry.

“Saddlers and researchers: Together we stand,” said event chair René van Weeren, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECVS. “The meeting has succeeded in its main goal: bringing the industry, the researchers and the end users together to improve mutual understanding.”

The event, sponsored by World Horse Welfare and WOW Saddles, saw vets, saddlers, and equine therapists rub shoulders with professional riders and trainers, as well as leisure owners and riders to hear speakers share and debate their experiences and research. The program explored the latest findings on health and welfare aspects of the horse and rider relationship, from new techniques in equine pain recognition to rider posture and equine biomechanics