The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) is calling on horse owners to support vets’ efforts to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance by better understanding where and when antibiotics are needed.

In preparation for World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, which runs from November 18-24, BEVA has upgraded its award winning PROTECT ME toolkit, which includes resources for horse owners as well as for vets, to encourage the continued reduction of antimicrobials, particularly those that are critically important for the treatment of people.

David Rendle, chair of BEVA’s health and medicines committee, said: “All horse owners, trainers and vets have a responsibility to prioritise appropriate antibiotic use in order that antibiotics will still be available to treat horses in the future.”

BEVA’s PROTECT ME toolkit contains a poster and fact sheet for horse owners and shareable social media content. There is also a ‘no antibiotic required’ non-prescription form, together with an information sheet for horse owners to help them understand when and why no antibiotics are required.