Thematic Areas

The overall goal of EUnetHorse is to establish an active multi-actor network across the European Union to increase the performance and the resilience of equine farms by widely disseminating best practices, tools and solutions that improve…

Their socio-economic performance

European equine farms face low profitability due to various reasons: high production costs, climate change impact, land accessibility issues, low horsemeat consumption, unstable incomes tied to sports and racing, health crisis risks, and changing customer preferences. Despite challenges, there is an opportunity for professionals to adapt practices, meet social expectations, and create sustainable business models for improved profitability. The responsible for the first Thematic Area is the Centre européen du cheval de Mont-le-Soie, a European research center located in Belgium, dedicated to promoting horses as vital elements of rural life.

The animal welfare and health on farms

Concerns over equine welfare and social acceptance are rising among European citizens. Issues across the European Union include shortcomings in welfare linked to environmental factors (limited space, confinement without access to pastures), lack of owner knowledge in proper care, and inappropriate handling methods leading to welfare problems. EUnetHorse aims to aid equine professionals in adapting practices to improve welfare, align with legislation, prevent potential bans, and safeguard against future pandemic impacts while ensuring sector sustainability. A Polish research center, the Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IGBZPAN) is responsible for this second Thematic Area.

The environmental sustainability of the sector

Equidae provide many eco-friendly benefits like grazing, utilizing working horses, and maintaining land in an environmentally sensitive way with low carbon emissions. However, unsustainable practices like overgrazing and mismanagement of resources persist. That is why the primary aim is to enhance the environmental sustainability of farms and the sector by refining their practices. Future challenges for equine farms involve enhancing self-sufficiency in feed, reducing external inputs, better managing water and energy resources, and improving carbon storage through enhanced farm-level management of hedges, meadows, manure, and biodiversity. This third Thematic Area is overseen from Finland by Helsingin Yliopisto, the University of Helsinki, where they have an equine veterinary clinic which receives patients from all over Finland.

Marlène Addes

FRENCH NATIONAL FACILITATOR

Agricultural Engineer specialized in animal production, and EUnetHorse project coordinator.

She works since 2017 in the Development, Innovation, Research Department of the IFCE on the management of transversal projects, the animation of networks, the launch of National Calls for R&D Projects until the contracting of R&D projects (Scientific Council of the French equine sector), and the evaluation of the impact of R&D projects.

 

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Jean Philippe Lejeune

BELGIAN NATIONAL FACILITATOR

Mont-Le-Soie Centre européen du Cheval.

Veterinarian, and director of Mont Le Soie.

He is a veterinarian graduated from the University of Liège. He completed a PhD thesis titled Juvenile osteoarthritis in the Ardennes draft horse. His main interests and expertise domains are a specialization in horse biomechanics (locomotor system), a knowledge of veterinary medicine, physiology and equine anatomy alongside knowledge of sporting aspects, equestrian competitions and an educational approach to horse riding. He also carries out a small horse breeding and boarding business. All his activities have led him to know the equestrian industry in his country well. In this project, he is the leader of two tasks: identification of the needs of farmers in each type of production context at NH-AKIS (Task 2.1), and identification of existing solutions and good practices at NH-AKIS and EU levels (Task 2.2).

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