E-BARQ GROUPS

E-BARQ Groups Explained

The rise of the horse as a recreational companion has stimulated a diversity of opinions on what constitutes safe and normal equine behaviour, and how we might alter our training and management systems to reduce the risk to rider safety and improve horse welfare.

1. Do you want to help your clients/members get the most out of their horses?
2. Do you wish you knew more about horse behaviour?
3. Do you have a minimum of 10 clients/members in your network?

The E-BARQ Team at the Sydney School of Veterinary Science has introduced a new feature that helps you to see at a glance which of your members have the most challenging horses. It’s called the E-BARQ group feature. With this tool, you can view the behavioural reports on each group member’s horse in one place and compare them with the horses in the rest of the group and the entire E-BARQ population.

Imagine the benefits of knowing, in advance, that an unfamiliar horse that you were due to encounter had particularly low behavioural scores, e.g., for confidence with novel objects. This could help you prepare for the event, making the experience safer for both you and the horse.

The Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) is a behavioural assessment package for horses and ponies. Various stakeholder groups have been consulted in its development over the past 8 years. Approved by the University of Sydney’s Human Research Ethics Committee, E-BARQ is a not-for-profit project that allows the global equestrian community to donate their observational data and gain unique benefits in return.

As E-BARQ can reveal the long-term consequences of your training, coaching, care or therapy, it is a powerful rider safety and horse welfare monitoring tool for many stakeholder groups. Trainers may introduce a new program and monitor progress over time. Breeders can showcase their stock, behaviourists monitor interventions, rescue organisations can now remotely assess re-homed horses’ behaviour and welfare; and coaches can show potential clients how their training relates directly to improving horse behaviour and trainability.

We encourage any veterinarian, behaviourist, breeder, researcher, coach, trainer, or rescue organization who is interested in better understanding their clients’ horses, to form a cohort group. You’ll just need a minimum of ten potential group members and your members will be able to view their results as soon as 50% of them have entered your group code on their horses’ profile.

You can form an E-BARQ group today by clicking on the category most appropriate for your needs.