Vets with Horsepower and Dr Nauris Laizāns  with Dr Diāna Zirnīte and Dr Ilze Jansone present:

Equine vet CPD and vet talks for horse owners in Jelgava near Riga, Latvia
27th June 2026

On the 27th of June 2026 the Vets with Horsepower will stop in Jelgava near Riga to deliver high-quality equine CPD lectures for vets and talks for horse owners in Latvia and nearby countries.
​The aim is to raise funds for several fabulous charity projects in need;

• Unbroken Kids (a charity with a hospital in Ukraine helping children heal physically and mentally)
• Ukrainian vets and horses (horses cannot graze amongst the landmines, and with many experienced vets fighting on the frontlines the veterinary care is maintained by vets with limited equine experience, or students)
• Saving the Survivors (caring for African poaching victims and helping to stop further poaching)
• the Gambia Horse and Donkey trust (veterinary care and education for those working equids and their owners that need it desperately)
• Changing Lives Malawi (improve opportunities for children)

​(Click on their names for more information about the projects we support)

The CPD hours are accredited by the CPD standards office for the vet talks.
Come and join us to follow some interesting lectures and help us raise money for the charities!

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DETAILS

ticket cost and registration

• VET CPD talks are accessible for vets and veterinary students. €100 for qualified vet and €50 for vet student.
• Horse owner talks are open for anyone with an interest in horses, €70

All entry fees go towards our charities. The above amounts are minimum donations, but if you can, please give more (there is an option to choose how much you will pay on the registration form.
​Access the registration for via the orange buttons above and below the programmes.
​
PLEASE NOTE: There will be a photographer present on the day, and the local organisers also intend to create some short video reels. By default, registering for the event indicates you do not mind being photographed/filmed, but if you object, please inform the local organisers.

Date and time:
27th June 2026

• Vets and students arrive from 8.30am for 9am talks start
• Horse owners and others who are interested or work with horses arrive from 10.30am for 10.50am talks start

Location:
TBC, next to University's veterinary clinic
Jelgava, Latvia​ (click on address for Google maps/navigation)
​
Speakers:
Prof Derek Knottenbelt, Dr Caroline Hahn, Prof Josh Slater, Dr Sanne Wilmink, Dr Jenny Croft, Dr Jessica Kidd, Prof Davide Zani, Prof Gunther van Loon
(Click on their names for more information)

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The Programme:

Registration for VETS

VET STUDENT registration

27th June		TALKS for VETS
8.30 - 9:00  ​​		Registration and welcome
9:00 - 9:40  ​​​	Gunther van Loon	How to perform a quick cardiac ultrasound in an emergency case (20 min) *AND* Waves, Spikes & Mild Panic: A Beginner’s Guide to ECG reading (20 min)
9:50 - 10:30  ​	Jessica Kidd	Update on treatment of equine back conditions (20 min)  *AND* Update on angular limb deformities (20 min)
10:30 - 11:00  ​	​	​Coffee break
11:00 - 11:30  ​	Jessica Kidd	Update on flexural deformities
11:40 - 12:10  ​​	Caroline Hahn	Shivering and stringhalt
12:20 - 12:50  ​	Davide Zani	Radiographic Evaluation of the Equine Axial Skeleton: Technique, Tips, and Pitfalls
12:50 - 14:00  ​​​		Lunch
14:00 - 14:30  ​​	Derek Knottenbelt	Colonic pathology – challenges in diagnosis and management ​​
14:40 - 15:10  ​	Jenny Croft	Review of the foal in the first 24 hours of life ​
15:20 - 16:00	Sanne Wilmink  ​	The Moody Mare (Veterinary intervention for 'hormonal' behaviour) (20 min) *AND* The Intelligent Immune system (equine immune diseases and immune modulation) (20 min) ​
16:00 - 16:30  ​		Coffee break
16:30 - 17:00  ​	Josh Slater	Herpesviruses and equine ocular disease - what can we learn from other species?
17:05 - 17:35	Josh Slater	How to manage an outbreak of equine infectious disease
17:40 - 18:10​  ​	Josh Slater	Maintaining the horse sector’s social licence to operate - your role and the veterinary safety net
		Gifts, donations, goodbye to VwHP team

Registration for VETS

VET STUDENT registration

Registration for horse owners and others

27th June		TALKS for OWNERS
		​
10:30 - 11:00  ​​		Registration and welcome
10:50 - 11:00		OPENING NOTE
11:00 - 11:30  ​​	Derek Knottenbelt	The Immune System – a basic understanding of how it works
11:40 - 12:10  ​​​	Gunther van Loon	My horse has a heart problem: what does this mean?
12:20 - 12:50  ​​	Sanne Wilmink	Headshaking in horses - what is it and can it be fixed? ​
12:50 - 14:00  ​​​​		Lunch
14:00 - 14:30  ​​​	Josh Slater	How horses see - and why this is important
14:40 - 15:10  ​​	Josh Slater	The anatomical secrets of horses - five things that make them excellent athletes
15:20 - 16:00  ​	Caroline Hahn	Muscle diseases - 'they ain't all tied up'  ​ ​
16:00 - 16:30  ​​		Coffee break
16:30 - 17:00  ​​	Davide Zani	More Than a Runny Nose: Understanding Nasal Discharge in Horses
17:05 - 17:35	Jessica Kidd	Poor performance for owners ​
17:40 - 18:10​  ​​	Jenny Croft	EGUS
		Gifts, donations, goodbye to VwHP team

Registration for horse owners and others

Any Questions for Dr Diāna Zirnīte and Dr Ilze Jansone