Thank you for your interest in the Progressive Equine Behavior and Training Forum. We’d like to share a brief background with you about how this Forum came to be, and where it may be going.
The organizers wanted to create an initial small-group format event in which professional colleagues could gather to exchange ideas, ask questions, build relationships, and lay a foundation for potential future work together. 
(The Organizing Committee for the first Forum was, in alphabetical order: Jen Digate, Sharon Foley, Robin Foster, Tara Gifford, Shawna Karrasch, Sharon Madere, Sue McDonnell and Victoria Voith.) An invitation list was drafted to include equine professionals from a variety of backgrounds, yet all with a commitment to behavioral science and the welfare of horses.
Attendees included members of IAABC (International Association of Animal 
Behavior Consultants), ISES (International Society for Equitation Science), academics, instructors, trainers, and welfare advocates, and came from the US, Canada, Ireland and the UK. With a limit of 40 individuals, all attendees were required to speak as individuals or to participate on a roundtable panel.
The Forum was a unique and powerful experience, and those involved immediately requested to do it again the following year. At an open planning meeting, all those present recommended that the second Forum be held with the same small-scale format, while exploring the possibilities of larger and public events in the near future. It is not yet clear what those broader future events might look like, but we are excited to have a wonderful group of 
engaged professionals who will be brainstorming about how we can work together to advance education for horse owners and improve welfare for horses.
We invite you learn more about the 2018 & 2019 Forums (see the menu on the right), and sign up to stay informed.