Changing Rein

The Innate Health Assessment tool developed by Prof Dan O'Neill and a team from the Royal Veterinary College has been described as revolutionary. In a podcast dedicated to the sustainability of horse sport from a welfare perspective, why are we talking about flat-faced dogs? Because we humans do things to and with animals in our lives that are not always in the animals' best interests, and breeding dogs for extreme conformation is one of those things. The IHA is designed to encourage responsible breeding of dogs so that future generations can lead full and happy lives, free from pain and discomfort.

Dr Dan O’Neill
Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology, RVC
MVB BSc(Hons) GPCert(SAP) GPCert(FelP) GPCert(Derm) GPCert(B&PS) PGCertVetEd FHEA MSc(VetEpi) PhD FRCVS
Following 22 years in general (mainly small animal) veterinary practice, Dan moved across to academia in 2009 to gain a PhD at the RVC developing VetCompass to harness the power of veterinary clinical records to understand companion animal health at scale.
 
He has remained at the RVC and co-leads the VetCompass™ Programme. With over 185 peer-reviewed papers, he also co-authored the books ‘Breed Predispositions to Disease in Dogs and Cats’ and ‘Health and Welfare of Brachycephalic (Flat-faced) Companion Animals’. He is a founding member of the UK Brachycephalic Working Group, the UK Legal Advisory Group on Extreme Conformation in Dogs and the International Collaborative on Extreme Conformation in Dogs.
 
Dan was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2018, the BSAVA Blaine Award for Advancement of Small Animal Science in 2019, the International Canine Health Award from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust in 2021, the UK All Party Parliamentary Group ‘Phillippa Robinson Dog Welfare Award’ in 2024 and the RCVS Impact Award in 2025. 
 
 In this conversation, Dan O'Neill discusses his journey from general veterinary practice to academia, highlighting the impact of the 'Pedigree Dogs Exposed' documentary on his career pivot. He introduces Vet Compass, a research initiative aimed at improving animal health through data collection and analysis and the provision of evidence-based support for veterinary practices. The discussion delves into the challenges of traditional veterinary practices, the importance of evidence-based medicine, and the role of human perceptions in animal welfare. O'Neill emphasizes the need for a shift in thinking towards innate health in animals, advocating for a more humane approach to breeding and care.
 
NOTE: The original Pedigree Dogs Exposed BBC documentary from 2008 that was the lightbulb moment for Dan is no longer available but its follow-up Pedigree Dogs Exposed: Three Years On is available on Prime Video.

Lucinda Creighton truly bridges two worlds - a former member of the Irish Parliament and a Government Minister with responsibility for European affairs, she also served on the board of Horse Sport Ireland, the governing body for equestrian sport in Ireland.

Lucinda grew up in Co Mayo, Ireland as a self-professed 'pony-mad kid'. In this episode we discuss her journey into public service, the dynamics of power and her experiences in the Irish Parliament (Dáil) and government. The conversation explores the importance of building relationships in any type of governance and the connection between politics and the horse industry. We also discuss the evolution of education in horse welfare, and the challenges faced by governing bodies like Horse Sport Ireland. The episode emphasizes the need for respect and engagement with the horse industry's stakeholders, the impact of corporate governance, and the significance of animal welfare as a political concern. Lucinda expresses her wish for better governance that values the voices of those who care for horses, highlighting the importance of community involvement and awareness in the equestrian world.

This episode kicks off our new season of Changing Rein, in which we hope to step back and take a ‘big picture’ look at how welfare policy happens in equestrian sport, and what are the challenges and opportunities in making a better life for horses in sport.

Our first guest is Prof Natalie Waran.
 
Nat is an internationally acclaimed animal behaviour and welfare scientist, educator and opinion leader. She was previously Professor of Animal Welfare, the Jeanne Marchig Animal Welfare Education Centre Director andInternational Dean at Edinburgh University’s Veterinary School, before she moved back to NZ in 2016 to take up the role of Professor of One Welfare and Executive Dean at EIT where she was based for 7 years. She was until recentlyDirector of a new ‘A Good Life for Animals Centre’ – a Research and Human Behaviour Change initiative in New Zealand. She is now full-time in her role as Director of NavigateWelfare, an international animal welfare consultancy,whilst maintaining her academic work as a Hon Professor at Edinburgh, Hartpury, and Charles Sturt Universities. 
 
Over the past 30+ years, she has researched and published across a range of species, but her special interest is in equine welfare and she has worked on a variety of topics including; horse transport, indicators of equine stress andpain, equine problem behaviour, equine quality of life and welfare assessment as well as editing a book ‘The Welfare of Horses’ published by Springer. Her most recent research collaborations involves colleagues in Australia, UK,Brazil, UK, Sweden and Denmark, all with the central objective of developing methods and understanding about positive horse welfare. She has been a trustee for a number of international equine charities including; The Brooke (workingequids) and International Fund for Animal Welfare and works closely with others such as World Horse Welfare. A co-founder of the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES), she is now Honorary Fellow and former Trustee forthe organisation. 
 
She has a track record of organising numerous conferences and workshops to bring researchers and practitioners together to share information to advance animal welfare, and in particular to promote positive human behaviour change. The first workshop to develop the field of equitation science was held in 2004whilst she was at Edinburgh University, she then organised the 2012 ISES conference in Edinburgh when she returned to the vet school, and in 2024 she chaired the local organising committee for the ISES conference held in NZ with the theme of ‘A Good Life for Horses’. As the invited chairperson of the FEI Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission, she led the development of an ambitious report proposing a new ‘Good Life’ Vision, Charter and 30 Recommendations toaddress critical issues related to the involvement of horses in sport, and in 2024, she co-authored a white paper (Good Equine Welfare) for Eurogroup for Animal Welfare. 
 
In 2025 she was awarded an OBE for her services to equine welfare, research and education. 
 
When at home in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand , Nat enjoys training and riding her own horses, coaching young riders and trying to teach her naughty donkeys and Pickles the (very) feral goat, new tricks.

We had so much to talk about that we split our chat with Bonny Mealand into two episodes which are interlinked. We discuss how free-living equids offer vital insights into the needs of domestic horses, and why recognising how essential these inextricable links between these two worlds is for the future of meaningful equine care.
We explored how Bonny developed the HELP model which recognises that our presence, choices, and handling directly impact a horse’s emotional state and autonomy, leading to a focus on trust-based, low-stress approaches.
Bonny firmly believes that when we slow down, learn to observe well and pay attention, horses begin to teach us, revealing insights we could never access through intellectual knowledge, techniques and method alone. Learning toobserve with care and curiosity allows horses to become our teachers, showing us what truly matters to them, helping us let go of assumptions and develop a more attuned, responsive, and respectful way of understanding and being withthem. We explore how Bonnie's insights can be applied to everyday interactions with horses and we learn about Bonnie's "genie wish", one that is probably shared by most of our guests and listeners. Tune in and let us know your thoughts!

You can learn more aboutBonny’s work at these websites:
 
Touching Wild: https://www.touchingwild.com/
 
Learning Wild: https://learningwilduk.wixsite.com/learningwild?fbclid=IwAR3NJULaSPPUZDXdBbiCOvankZ6zLSrU2AjdLlTyl3h8ju2RAVjgG6YfRzU
 
The Equine Podiatry Association - https://www.epauk.org/?doing_wp_cron=1752481742.6105430126190185546875
 
Cristina Wilkins' online course mentioned by Bonny is available at this link:
https://www.openlearning.com/une/courses/une-equine-course/?cl=1&redirectTo=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.openlearning.com%2Fune%2Fcourses%2Fune-equine-course%2Fhomepage%2F%3Fcl%3D1

Summary
In Part 1 of our conversation with Bonny Mealand, she shares her journey into equine podiatry and the development of her HELP model, which emphasizes a holistic, horse-led approach to care. She discusses the importance of understanding horse behavior, building trust, and ensuring emotional safety in interactions. Bonny highlights the significance of observation in equine care and the important role of choice when developing meaningful relationships with horses. The conversation also touches on the challenges of rehabilitating traumatized horses and the potential for riding to be a positive shared experience when approached correctly.

Takeaways
Bonny's work focuses on a holistic approach to equine care.
The HELP model emphasizes safety and relationship building with horses.
Understanding horse behavior is crucial for effective interaction.
Observation of free-living horses provides insights into their natural behavior.
Building trust with horses takes time and patience.
The importance of emotional safety in horse handling cannot be overstated.
Rehabilitating traumatized horses requires a long-term commitment.
The HELP wheel serves as a framework for horse-human relationships.
Touch should be initiated by the horse to ensure comfort.
Riding can be a part of the relationship if approached correctly.