It’s that time of year again, the summer holidays are over, it’s the sunniest it’s been all year and while you’re trying to fight your way to the bar past all the annoying freshers, your tutors have already got you thinking about that one piece of work which will be on all third years’ minds, and most second years’ too – DISSERTATION!

Love it or hate it, there is no getting away from the fact that the dissertation is the biggest piece of work you will undertake as an undergraduate student. But why is research so important, and why do colleges and universities insist that students spend so much of their second year thinking about it and most of their third year actually doing it?

Let’s face it, without research we wouldn’t know what to do in our lives. Why? Because research is essentially the process of asking questions, finding answers and evaluating the results in a way that makes it easy for us to decide the best course of action. Even without knowing, we carry out research every day. We ask questions, evaluate the answers and (hopefully) make the right choices as a consequence. Equine science research shouldn’t really be any different. We pose the question, record the answer and make judgements accordingly.

The Importance of Research

It may be that you still feel your dissertation is simply an exercise that must be overcome. But the reality is that equine science research is extremely important if we are to evolve as an industry and ensure that our horses are well cared for, healthy and perform to the best of their abilities. Research becomes vitally important in ensuring that our management is optimal for our horses’ wellbeing. Without research, how could we know which diet is best, which training method is most appropriate, etc.

Researchers, academics and industry professionals alike, all realise the importance of carrying out research. Dr Catherine Dunnett, from Independent Equine Nutrition, highlights the need for valid research evidence when considering equine nutrition, "Applied Equine Science research underpins the credibility of many ingredients and supplements sold in the equine market and so serves to differentiate those products that have established efficacy".

This is true in all areas of equine management. “Research allows us to understand exactly what we must do to achieve optimum health and performance from our animals”, says Andrew Hemmings from the Royal Agricultural College. “We can study them in various situations and draw valid conclusions from our results, thus allowing appropriate management strategies to be developed”.

Get that Question Right!

Although research is important, ensuring that a suitable experiment is carried out is also vital to the investigative process. A well-defined hypothesis, or research question, is a must. “Students so often forget to define exactly what it is they are looking at”, Andrew goes on to explain, “If you do not have a good hypothesis to begin with, it becomes very hard to justify what it is you are doing and even harder to draw any valid conclusions”.

Defining a question and carrying out an experiment is only one part of the research process. Evaluating and sharing results is just as important, as Dr Pat Harris, from Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, explains, “The optimal feeding and management of horses relies on a combination of 'Art' and 'Science'. By undertaking equine scientific research we are therefore able to improve the health, welfare, behaviour and performance of horses. However, it is only by sharing the knowledge that we gain through research, with other researchers as well as with those practising the Art of horse keeping, will we actually see these improvements occur”.

British Society of Animal Science

The importance of sharing experimental results is something that is highlighted by the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS). Every year the Society hosts an Animal Science Conference aimed at sharing the latest results with a wider audience. Equine sessions held as part of the conference offer the chance for equine science researchers to present their latest work. The Conference also includes sessions aimed specifically at equine science students and recent graduates.

In 2009, BSAS will host two Equine sessions, both of which will include eminent invited speakers. The first session, Equine Health, will feature Prof Jonathan Elliott from the Royal Veterinary College, who will talk about the latest developments in laminitis; the second session, Equine Behaviour and Welfare, will feature Mathew Parker, who will discuss his latest research into equine stereotypies. The sessions are also open to any other researcher (of any level), who may wish to submit their work for presentation.

“The BSAS Annual Conference is an excellent way not only to present, and listen to, the latest research findings, but is also a chance to meet other workers within your field of research”, explains Andrew Hemmings. “It is only through collaboration and discussion that research work can push forward, and the Conference is an excellent opportunity for researchers at all levels to come together and talk”.

Final thought…

So, dissertations really can be valid, exciting pieces of work, and are the chance for students to become really involved with experiments, whose results could have far reaching implications within the equine industry. And who knows, maybe you will be presenting your results at BSAS 2009!

The BSAS Conference 2009 will be held in Southport, Merseyside, on 30^th March – 1^st April 2009. Equine sessions for 2009 will be Equine Health and Equine Behaviour and Welfare. The deadline for submission of extracts is 24^th October. For more information regarding BSAS membership (which is free for undergraduate students), and details of the 2009 conference, please see www.bsas.org.uk