Dr. Tamzin Furtado

Friends, forage, freedom: The Use of Alternative Grazing Systems for Horses (2021)

Presented by Dr. Tamzin Furtado PhD

Equine management is built on the foundations of tradition. However, the role of horses is evolving, and the change in horse use but not horse management sometimes contributes to welfare issues, such as obesity. This talk considers “alternative” management systems for horses, which purport to fulfill the horse’s ethological needs of “friends, forage, and freedom”. While no one system provides a panacea for horse care, these systems are commonly used for managing health conditions such as equine metabolic syndrome, laminitis, arthritis, and gastric ulcers, and hence knowledge of these strategies could prove invaluable for veterinarians.

A heavyweight discussion: how do we tackle equine obesity? (May 2021)

With Tamzin Furtado, David Rendle, Nicola Menzies-Gow and Laura Sharpe.

During this live webinar David Rendle, Tamzin Furtado, and Nicola Menzies-Gow will chew the fat on obesity.
Tamzin Furtado will discuss how to raise the issue of obesity in a consult, and how to work with owners to create tailored weight plans.
David Rendle will present an argument for using pharmaceuticals to tackle obesity.
Nicola Menzies-Gow will present an argument for diet and exercise and not to use pharmaceuticals as a substitute.
Laura Sharpe from the George Veterinary Group will be our guest chairperson for the evening.

Managing obesity in horses- how can vets help horse owners? (Feb 2021)

Dr. Tamzin Furtado PhD

Cobs are supposed to have an apple bum… not a whole orchard!” How can we use the science of behaviour change to help owners recognise and manage obesity in their horses?

This practical talk will discuss the results of a three-year study about owners’ perceptions of equine weight management and behaviour change. The talk will review the principles of human behaviour change in order to impart pragmatic knowledge that can be used in practice by vets, in order to help owners, recognise when their horses are overweight, and help them change. We will use examples of real owners’ experiences throughout, and attendees will take away useful applied information to help them to facilitate those tricky conversations about weight.

Human Behaviour Change Science Applied to Veterinary Communication (2021)

Presented by Dr. Tamzin Furtado
Changing human behaviour is at the root of a huge amount of veterinary medicine. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to persuade people to change, which can be frustrating for the veterinarian and can also negatively impact the animal. This talk will introduce theories of human behaviour change as they apply to veterinary medicine, explaining how you can use the findings from this scientific field when communicating with clients, in order to build good client relationships and further improve the welfare of animals in your care.

How to Manage Equine Obesity (2021)

Presented by Dr. Tamzin Furtado
This talk brings together the results of a three-year study into horse owners’ perceptions of equine body condition and weight management, and theories of behaviour change and human psychology. By using these theories to better understand horse owner behaviour, this talk provides practical information which can be used to help with those difficult conversations.