In May, Equine Manager Christina Malleck and Humane Investigations Director Kendra King were selected from a pool of individuals to participate in UC Davis CVET’s first Train-the-Trainer Equine Handling Workshop. CVET, or California Veterinary Emergency Team, is administered by UC Davis One Health Institute within the School of Veterinary Medicine. They offer training and support to agencies, individuals, and organizations to aid animals during emergencies. CVET developed the Train-the-Trainer Equine Handling Workshop after an overwhelming interest in the program from across the state.

The workshop focused on how to teach someone basic horse-handling skills like approaching, haltering, and leading a horse safely. Instructors discussed the importance of horse safety, herd dynamics, horse body language, and how to recognize signs of distress. Christina and Kendra learned how to conduct a hands-on brief exam, including mentation, respiratory rate, heart rate, temperature, and how to assess hydration and body condition. These factors, coupled with any visible injuries or lack thereof, would help to conclude a preliminary triage assessment on a horse in an emergency. 

Attendees learned horse anatomy, basic first aid techniques, and safe loading and unloading of a trailer. "Our goal for the future is to take what we have learned and offer courses for local and surrounding animal disaster responders and their organizations. We will also use the valuable skills we learned to further train HSVC’s own Ventura County Humane Animal Rescue Team (VC HART). We are ramping up our disaster response efforts to better serve our communities. Be on the lookout for more information in the future!" said King.