The British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA)’s new Equine Nutritionist and Feed Adviser Register (ENFAR) is now live.
It was announced in June that ENFAR, which has been developed by Dr Katie Williams from Dengie Horse Feeds alongside the BETA Feed Committee, would be launched in an attempt to tackle the rise of ‘armchair experts’.
Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist regardless of their qualifications or experience. This means some advice is of poor quality and has the potential to be detrimental to equine welfare and damage the credibility of those operating professionally.
ENFAR seeks to prevent that by containing a searchable directory of reputable feed advisers and equine nutritionists. It is designed to be a trusted place for horse owners to visit for advice on feeding.
“Knowing that others shared my concerns, we got together to develop ENFAR under the auspices of BETA, to recognise those who are doing a good job and who horse owners can trust,” said Katie.
Raising standards
“What I love about the register is that anyone who is giving advice on feeding and nutrition can apply, so ultimately it will help to raise standards across lots of different equestrian professions including veterinary personnel, bodyworkers and coaches.”
ENFAR has two categories – one for feed advisors and one for equine nutritionists. Everyone on the register has completed a series of online assessments and committed to engage in CPD and agreed to the ENFAR Code of Best Practice.
“The assessment process is designed to ensure that everyone is in the right category and be rigorous enough to ensure a minimum standard of competency and knowledge.
“The assessments include technical skills and knowledge but are also looking at how effectively someone can communicate. Ultimately, we want to be sure that the candidate can advise effectively,” said Claire Williams, executive director of BETA.
For more information about ENFAR click here.
