Centre for Equine and Animal Science

As part of the drive to achieve excellence in its research and education activities, the College has created a centre which brings together staff with expertise in animal and equine science. The Centre for Equine and Animal Science (CEQAS) encompasses work on many aspects of the study of farm and domestic animals and horses such as behaviour, care, nutrition, production and husbandry, exercise performance, reproduction and breeding, and welfare. The objectives of the Centre are to engage in high quality research and consultancy and deliver high standards in training and teaching in the fields of animal and equine science.

Visit the CEQAS website for more information about the work of CEQAS.

Facilities

CEQAS research facilities are based around three main areas, Sturgeons Farm, the Lordship Stud and the Lordship Science laboratories:

Sturgeons farm is at the centre of the Writtle College 135 hectare estate. The main farm area has a 90 sow pig unit, flocks of 110 commercial sheep and 50 pedigree Suffolks, 25 pedigree Red Poll cows and followers.

The Lordship Stud provides high quality housing for stallions, breeding mares and foals. The stud has modern veterinary examination and AI collection areas, laboratory, manege, indoor school and 20 hectares of permanent pasture.

The laboratories house modern facilities for analytical chemistry, biochemistry, histology, cell and tissue culture. In addition, links with other nearby institutions provide access to more specialised laboratory facilities

Research Areas

Fertility and Reproductive Performance - We are interested in the consequences of accelerated calf growth on lifetime performance, fertility and lameness and are developing links with a large dairy unit at Terling, Mackies of Scotland in Aberdeen and CEDAR at Reading. The college has recently invested in state of the art Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA) equipment to support its work which will initially be focused on evaluation of horse semen quality but expand to include farm animal and companion animal species.

Animal Health and Nutrition - The college has excellent facilities to carry out nutritional studies in horses and farm animal species. These can be used for studies on the importance of macro and micro nutrients in maintaining animal health and performance. The college also has facilities for in vitro studies of gut microbial function in ruminant and equine species.

Behaviour and Welfare - The welfare of animals is now recognised as an important component of all human-animal relationships and behavioural analysis is a primary tool in welfare research. Students at Writtle College study a wide range of animals including farmed species, horses, zoo animals, companion animals and wildlife. Research at Writtle reflects this breadth of study with recent publications in the health and welfare of horses, pigs, dairy cows and a number of zoo-based species. In addition to research staff at Writtle work with industry in consultation regarding a range of health and welfare issues

Industry and Enterprise Development - Research and consultancy for the equine industry includes areas of staff recruitment, management, training and development, equine market research, customer buying behaviour and market dynamics, participation in equine activities, equine product development, equine business planning and start ups, and evaluation, breeding, production and marketing of sports horses and Thoroughbreds.

Complementary therapies and Ethnoveterinary Medicine - We intend to further develop our links in Nepal, East Africa and China and establish links in other parts of the world to record and utilise the untapped knowledge of the use of natural products to treat disease and enhance health.

Equestrian Sports Performance - The Equine Science department has an excellent reputation and extensive links with the equine industry. It has ongoing research interests in competition analysis and environmental effects on performance.

Staff

• Jonathan Amory - Lecturer in Animal Science
• Emma Bleach - Lecturer in Animal Science
• Sife Chikunya - Lecturer in Animal Science
• Caroline Flanagan - Senior Lecturer in Animal Science
• Catherine Hale - Lecturer in Equine Science
• Marcus Roberts - Lecturer
• Jes Scaife - Reader in Animal Science and Head of the Centre for Equine and Animal Science
• Sue Tracey - Senior Lecturer in Equine Science
• Pennie Wallace - Senior Lecturer in Equine Science
• Tim Whitaker - Senior Lecturer in Equine Science and Deputy Head of the Centre for Equine and Animal Science

Postgraduate Students

• Nicola Blackie - PhD studies on effects of nutrition and housing of young stock on health and performance in dairy cows.
• Naser Estuty - PhD studies on nutritional factors affecting semen quality.
• Rebecca Gosling - PhD studies on the effects of heavy metal contamination of forages on rumen microbial activity.