This webinar, organised by the National Equine Forum, will be delivered by industry leaders, with opportunities for discussion and questions from the audience. Speakers will look at the magnitude of the decline of the UK’s native breeds and how their future can be safeguarded. The impact of the extinction vortex on the natural world and how it applies to equine breeds will be covered and the challenging situation of inbreeding in Thoroughbreds explored. The advantages of DNA analysis will be debated, to show how science can provide breed societies and breeders with keystone support to guide decisions that can increase effective populations. This will be endorsed with a case study to show proof of concept that breeds in decline have a chance to be saved when genomics and kinship analysis are utilised.

A summary will be presented at #NEF21, on Thursday 4th March 2021 (tickets will be available for #NEF21 from early January 2021).

The webinar will be chaired by Prof Tim Morris, and include speakers: Tullis Matson, Simon Cooper, Paul Flynn and Dr Andy Dell. More details can be found on our website, here, and by listening to Tullis give an overview below.

With thanks to those supporting JUST IN TIME - USING SCIENCE TO SAVE OUR BREEDS, SPONSORS: The British Horse Society and The Horse Trust; CORPORATE FRIENDS: World Horse Welfare; FRIENDS: The 826 Studbooks Association; Cob Care; Exmoor Pony Society; Neue Schule; and Traditional Gypsy Cob Association.