Course Tutors

Dr Richard Vialls
Equine Podiatry, Laminitis

Richard is the lead tutor on the course.  He has an Equine Podiatry practice based in North Wales which focusses on remedial work, especially laminitis cases. He is a founder member of the Equine Podiatry Association and sits on the EPA council. He is the author of “Laminitis – a Horse-Centred Approach” and has a research interest in laminitis. Richard originally trained as a physicist and then as an electronic engineer and worked for some years as a consultant in the silicon chip industry before becoming interested in equine podiatry in 2002 as a result of his partner’s horse going lame. He brings his background in science and engineering to the subject of equine podiatry.

Sally Bell
Equine Podiatry

Sally qualified as an Equine Podiatrist in 2010, having being a student on the first ever course run by Equine Podiatry Training Ltd!  She has been working as a full time EP since then, alongside some time running her barefoot livery and rehabilitation yard, and helping to train and examine the EPT students. She previously worked successfully as a freelance trainer and rider – qualified to BHSAI – until her own homebred horse started to go wrong, making her question conventional practices, and look for answers, which ultimately led to her becoming an EP.  The 13 years she has spent working as an in demand EP, dealing with a huge spectrum of hooves, is underpinned by years of teaching and general horse experience

Catherine Bradley
Equine Podiatry

Catherine is a full-time Equine Podiatrist and a member of the Equine Podiatry Association and International Equine Professionals. Catherine has a special interest in the hoof pathologies of miniature Shetland ponies and how they relate to orthopaedic problems.

Clare Burrows
Grassland Management

Clare is an ecologist at Natural Resources Wales with responsibility for providing scientific advice on the ecological impacts of farming. She has 30 years’ experience in how different management approaches affect pasture ecology and has a particular interest in the impact of pasture management on equine health.

Helen Davies
Advanced Anatomy

Helen is a Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Anatomy at the University of Melbourne and has been teaching veterinary anatomy and training riders and horses in all disciplines for more than 20 years. Her research investigates the loading of the equine distal forelimb and the adaptation of the bones and hoof to exercise. She has presented at all the International Conferences on Equine Locomotion and the preceding International Workshops on Animal Locomotion since the inaugural meeting in 1991 and has been on the International Scientific Committee and editor of the Proceedings (published as supplements to the Equine Veterinary Journal) for 2 of these meetings. She was an author of the chapters on the digital anatomy and functional anatomy of the digit and a contributor to the biomechanics chapter in the Equine Podiatry book published by Elsevier in 2007.

Vikki Fear
Equine Podiatry, Anatomy

Vikki is a practicing Equine Podiatrist having qualified with EPT in 2012. Having had a horse with complex hoof and body issues she developed an interest in equine anatomy and has spent many an hour in dissections, of both hooves and whole horses to further her knowledge and understanding.

Ben Hart
Equine Behaviour

Ben Hart is an equine trainer and specialises in training horses using the science of behaviour. His work is based around an understanding of the workings of the equine mind and wherever possible the use of positive reinforcement to motivate and encourage good behaviour in the animals with which he works. Ben uses the science of behaviour to enhance the communication between humans and animals providing long term solutions to any equine behavioural problems.

Paul Horner
Farriery

Paul qualified as a farrier in 1997 and went on to become a training farrier and to date has had 7 apprentices. In 2014 Paul gained a BSc (Hons) with a 1st in farriery from Myerscough College and also won the “Caldwell Cup” for the best practical Job. He gained his Associate of the worshipful company of farriers in 2012 and Fellowship of the worshipful company of farriers 2019. Paul is currently running a successful business in somerset with 2 apprentices, He has a particular interest in the veterinary aspects where he is been resident farrier at the “University of Bristol” for over 20 years and also carries out referral work for other local practices. The majority of his work is competition horses, which consists of mainly event horses of all levels. He also attended Tokyo 2020 where he was part of the Olympic farriery team.

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Clare MacLeod
Equine Nutrition

Clare is an independent registered Equine Nutritionist with expertise in sports science who provides practical advice on feeding and nutrition for all equine animals. Clare is particularly interested in keeping and feeding horses more naturally.

Denise Powell
Equine Podiatry

Denise is a full time Equine Podiatrist. She has ridden and competed barefoot horses from a young age; everything from Endurance to Eventing. She has a keen interest in the effect environment can have on a horse’s overall wellbeing and she is passionate about the importance of a team approach to rehabilitation cases.

Helen Stowell
Equine Podiatry

Helen has a practice based in Shropshire. She became interested in barefoot hoofcare when living in Australia & New Zealand in the early 2000’s and trained as an owner trimmer with Louise McCormack. She’s kept her own horses barefoot since then and studies equine podiatry on returning to the UK. She’s worked as a full time equine podiatrist since 2015 and enjoys working with owners to understand and improve their horses’ foot health.