| On the 28th and 29th of May 2010 WEVA held an intermediate meeting in Debrecen, the second city of Hungary. The meeting was hosted jointly with the Hungarian Association of Equine Practitioners, the World Organisation of Hungarian Veterinarians and the British Equine Veterinary Association. The day before the meeting a General Assembly of the Federation of European Equine Veterinary Associations was held, at which WEVA was represented by President Tim Greet and Senior Vice-president Gary Norwood. A variety of current topics were discussed including veterinary education, the identification of horses, diseases surveillance, medicines availability and the responsible use of medicines. It is amazing how similar are problems affecting veterinary surgeons worldwide and maintaining international dialogue is essential to facilitate and coordinate the veterinary response to such challenges. We are only a small profession but speaking with one voice empowers us.
The Intermediate Meeting itself was held in the Kolcsey Convention Centre and was undoubtedly a triumph due in no small part to the skill and hard work of the Hungarian organising committee. There were almost 250 delegates and speakers from 19 countries. One speaker travelled from as far away as Trinidad and Tobago! The majority of delegates came from Hungary and the surrounding countries, such as Romania, Ukraine and Serbia. The simultaneous translation from English to Hungarian was of the highest calibre as were the audiovisual aids.
The first day was devoted to surgery and clinical work which could be carried out without sophisticated facilities and later in the day there were lectures on designing and building a clinic, the organisation of private practice and equine insurance in the UK. Although equine private practice is still at a relatively embryonic stage in Hungary, there was good feedback from the delegates, clearly indicating an enthusiasm for possible future professional development.
The second day dealt with infectious diseases and the morning session, chaired by BEVA Past-president Josh Slater, gave an eloquent overview of the current status of Rhodococcus infection, EIA, influenza and babesiosis, with notable contributions from local speakers about the disease situation in Eastern Europe. The afternoon session dealt with more exotic diseases such as caused by EVA, West Nile Virus and African Horse Sickness. The effects of globalisation of the equine industry as well as climate change have significantly increased the risk of such diseases occurring in parts of the world from which they were considered to be free. Indeed we heard that West Nile Virus is now considered to be endemic in some parts of Europe.
The social programme involved a visit to Hortobagy in the east of Hungary, where a large national park has been created. The area is very flat and significant wetlands are important for a wide variety of native and migrant birds. However, we were there to see a fantastic display of traditional horsemanship at Mata the home of the Hortobagy Stud, where the famous Nonius horses are bred. This area is called the puszta and is the home of long horned Hungarian grey cattle and black sheep as well as the traditional herdsmen, the gulyas (literally "cowboys"), who gave the name to goulash soup, the classic dish of the region. We saw not only astonishing horsemanship (see the traditional "puszta five") but also the salt wagon pulled by the long horn cattle such a vital part of the economy of the region over the centuries.
Every WEVA Intermediate Meeting has a local flavour of its own and this one was no exception. However, what I will remember most vividly is the friendliness shown by everyone, the high quality organisation of the meeting by a group of veterinary surgeons hungry to share scientific information and with a fierce pride in the history and traditions of the region. I took the opportunity before I flew home to spend a day looking around Budapest which must rank as one of the most beautiful historic cities anywhere in the world. A truly memorable meeting.
Delegates are taken by horse drawn wagon to see the demonstration.
The famous puszta five - a fantastic exhibition of traditional horsemanship.
Bandits trained their horses to lie down to avoid detection by the police.
The salt wagon drawn by long horned grey cattle typical of the puszta.
WEVA, HAEP, WOHV and BEVA representatives. From left to right - Istvan Szieberth, Josh Slater, Tim Greet, Istvan Soos, Gabor Bodo, Zita Makra and Gary Norwood.
|
