Equine research
We have been undertaking important research to help benefit the health and welfare of horses, ponies and donkeys for many years. This research is vital to help understand the best ways to keep them healthy or why certain diseases occur, as well as discovering better ways to prevent or treat these conditions.
International reputation for clinical research
We have an international reputation for our equine clinical research. The results of our numerous studies have been presented at veterinary conferences worldwide and published in various scientific journals.
Our work is vital in informing and guiding veterinary professionals, owners, and carers in making evidence-based decisions about a horse's treatment and how to keep them as healthy as possible.
Areas of research
Most of our research involves studying healthy horses as well as those with certain diseases, including investigations into bacteria, parasites, and viruses.
Some of our research also involves people, including horse owners and vets. We work with other researchers across the University of Liverpool and those from other universities and clinics all over the world. Research skills and evidence-based veterinary medicine form part of our training programme for veterinary students at the University of Liverpool.
We play an important role in training the scientists of the future, including postgraduate veterinary surgeons and non-veterinary researchers who have an interest in animal health.
Our areas of current research include:
- Colic and gastrointestinal diseases
- Equine health and disease surveillance
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Musculoskeletal diseases
- Metabolic disease and obesity
- Infectious diseases.
Ethics and research conduct
All our research studies undergo ethical review by the University’s Veterinary Research and Ethics Committee and we are required to adhere to strict rules around research conduct. This includes obtaining the consent of owners or carers for their horse to be involved in any relevant research studies.
The research we undertake involving horses does not involve experimental research on horses nor do we perform any experimental procedures on our clinical cases. Most of our research involves data recorded from patients, samples that would otherwise have been put into the clinical waste or small quantities of left-over samples taken as part of their routine clinical treatment.
Open research and use of client and patient data
With the advent of AI and worldwide concerns over ‘fake’ research findings, we are increasingly required to provide the data used in our research in databases accessible to the public. We will never share any names or personal details nor will any hospital cases be named or identifiable in any data used to support our research findings.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about our research or would like more information, please contact us.