veterinary nursing - EQUINE programme
Wednesday 24 June 2026
| 6.45am | Hill's Pet Nutrition Breakfast: The microbiome - puppeteers or puppets of human biology? Please note: You must register for this breakfast to attend | Room 516 Level 5 |
| 7am | Registration opens | Level 3 |
| 8am | Plenary: Thriving and striving at work - the ultimate win win |
Charlotte Cantley | Theatre A Level 5 |
| 8.45am | Acute neonatal respiratory disease and nursing support | Bonny Millar Acute respiratory disease is a significant cause of mortality in neonatal foals. This presentation outlines the factors that predispose foals to respiratory compromise, including prematurity, perinatal asphyxia, bacterial and viral infections. It highlights the physiological challenges faced during the transition from foetal to neonatal life and the importance of early recognition and intervention. Emphasis is placed on supportive and intensive nursing care, including oxygen therapy, fluid support, careful positioning, and monitoring. The presentation also compares respiratory management in foals with approaches used in human medicine, demonstrating shared principles of respiratory support and the vital role of skilled nursing care. | Room 514 Level 5 |
| 9.30am | Morning tea | Exhibition Hall Level 3 |
| 10am | ‘This wound won’t heal’ - The factors that delay wound healing | Bonny Millar Non-healing wounds in horses involve factors that impede normal healing processes. Recognising and methodically addressing these inhibitory influences—including infection, foreign bodies, necrotic tissue, impaired blood flow, excessive movement, and systemic disease—can significantly improve outcomes. Chronic wounds, prone to delayed healing, cause scarring and function loss. Genetic disorders, tumors, iatrogenic issues, and rare idiopathic cases complicate treatment. Early, thorough assessment, diagnostics, debridement, infection control, and moisture management are crucial. A structured approach enables timely intervention, promotes healing, and enhances outcomes both functionally and cosmetically. | Room 514 Level 5 |
| 10.50am | Equine atypical myopathy | Bonny Millar Nursing horses affected by atypical myopathy is challenging. It is a highly fatal seasonal disease linked to toxin ingestion from sycamore tree seeds and seedlings. This lecture explains the cause, clinical signs, diagnosis, and risk factors associated with pasture conditions and weather patterns. The presentation emphasises the importance of rapid assessment, supportive treatment, and intensive nursing care for affected horses, especially those that become recumbent. Key aspects include fluid therapy, pain management, oxygen support, monitoring, and prevention strategies. It concludes by highlighting the importance of early recognition, pasture management, and raising awareness to reduce future cases. | Room 514 Level 5 |
| 11.45am | Disasters in the trenches | VPIS Shared talk with Large Animal Veterinary Technicians and Lifestyle Block streams | Room 507 & 508 Level 5 |
| 12.30pm | Lunch | Exhibition Hall Level 3 |
| 1.30pm | Emergency anaesthesia: The equine edition | Marcia Fletcher The risk of anaesthetic related death to equine patients markedly increases when they are considered sick and compromised. Abdominal emergencies such as colic and uroperitoneum are two of the most critical equine patients we anaesthetise. This lecture describes the pathophysiology of each condition, as well as the likely anaesthetic complications. Monitoring and support is described in depth to help get these intense cases though their anaesthesia and into recovery. | Room 514 Level 5 |
| 2.30pm | Introduction to laser therapy in horses, dogs and cats | Huisheng Xie Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation and has been used in veterinary medicine since the 1970s. This introductory presentation will review laser classifications and key treatment parameters, including wavelength, power, treatment time, dose, and frequency. The session will focus on practical application of Class IV laser therapy in horses, dogs, and cats, with emphasis on musculoskeletal conditions and wound management. Practical guidelines for effective treatment delivery, appropriate dosing, and safety considerations will be discussed. Case examples will be included to demonstrate clinical use and expected outcomes. Shared talk with Complementary Veterinary Medicine stream | Room 518 Level 5 |
| 3.30pm | Afternoon tea | Exhibition Hall Level 3 |
| 4pm | Identifying stressors of therapeutic riding on horses | Kristina Naden There is a wide range of research focusing on the impact of therapeutic riding for humans, however there is minimal research into the impacts for the equines involved in this type of animal-assisted therapy. This study is the last phase of a PhD research project into the role of horses used for therapeutic riding, by the New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association. This phase of the project aims to identify if specific activities carried out during a therapeutic riding session create stress-related behaviours, or stress-related physiological changes in horses. | Room 514 Level 5 |
| 4.30pm | Equine identification: the role of allied veterinary professionals | Hillary Milne, Sarah Rosanowski and Nicole McDonald New Zealand's equine population has lacked a unified national identification system - until now. The National Equine Identification and Traceability (NEIT) system is live, built on the NZCAR platform run by Companion Animals NZ. Allied Veterinary Professionals are key to NEIT's success: scanning horses for existing microchips, supporting implantation procedures, registering animals on NEIT and NZCAR, and educating owners throughout the process. This presentation explores how vet nurses can support equine owners through the microchipping and registration process and why it’s important to New Zealand’s biosecurity preparedness and emergency response. | Room 514 Level 5 |
| 5pm | Care of the orphan foal | Bonny Millar This presentation describes the essential care and management of orphan foals, including challenges faced when a foal loses its mare and decisions for nutrition, health, and growth. It discusses feeding options like mare’s milk, goat’s milk, or replacers, and techniques for bottle- or bucket-feeding. The presentation also covers fostering onto nurse mares, monitoring growth, preventing behavioral issues from too much human contact, and emphasises feeding schedules, hygiene, equipment, companionship, and gradual weaning for healthy development. | Room 514 Level 5 |
| 5.45pm | NZVA Awards | Theatre A Level 5 |
| 6.30pm | Networking dinner | Exhibition Hall Level 3 |
| Combined session with another stream. |
This programme was correct at the time of publication. Speakers and titles are subject to change. |