Farewell to equine podiatrist who ‘influenced and changed lives for the better’
Jayne Hunt, a founder member of the Equine Podiatry Association (EPA), known for her love of horses, died in a road traffic collision on 9 July, aged 55.
Born in Kendal, Cumbria, Miss Hunt grew up living in Dubai and Oxfordshire, and moved to Melksham, Wiltshire, at the age of 11.
Her love of horses started in childhood when she was involved in a community-based project with the Riding for the Disabled Associated through the Girl Guides.
Miss Hunt became an equine podiatrist to help her first horse Casper, and when she was made redundant from her role of communications executive with Avon Rubber in 2006, she became an equine podiatrist full-time.
That year she was a founding member of the EPA, and in 2008 she co-founded the Equine Podiatry Training company with Richard Vialls. Her aim was to share her knowledge and passion of horses with her students, and she was instrumental in having the equine podiatry diploma accredited by LANTRA as a level five qualification.
A spokesman for the EPA said Miss Hunt was “at the heart of our community since inception” and the association will be “forever grateful”.
“Living her life as she did, Jayne influenced and changed so many lives for the better; from her clients, to we podiatrists, and the horses that bring us all together. We are so thankful for the time we had with her and wish we had had much more, she will be profoundly missed by us all,” he said.
A spokesman for Equine Podiatry Training said Miss Hunt made a “massive contribution to the creation of the profession and to the establishment of national recognised standards”.
“Her loss leaves a huge hole in our profession that will be hard to fill. We have not just lost a key colleague but a good friend too,” he said.
Miss Hunt leaves her beloved horse Moomin.
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