Dean Bland - Personal Statement:

 "I am a dual-professional Farrier/Educator with over twenty-five years’ experience. My working life reflects my interests, including practical Farriery, education and welfare. As a Farrier, I work with equines with specific needs, including conformational, postural and lameness issues. Working as part of a holistic approach to equine welfare and equestrian performance. 

As a Welfare Consultant, I help organisations to support the lives of working equines and their communities through educational outreach. Between 2013 and 2017 I supported World Horse Welfare develop Community Based Equine Advisors and Farriers in Central America and Southern Africa. Undertaking scoping visits to inform the development of practical participatory approaches to training relevant to these communities, including role playing and visual approaches to communication. Approaches that led to the development of a Children’s Project that utilised participatory theatre to empower and educate women and children as the primary equine care providers. Between 2014 and 2017 I supported World Horse Welfare disseminate this welfare lexicon by developing and delivering regional training workshops to build educational capacity and share best practice amongst their Regional Trainers. 

In 2016 I began working with Redwings Horse Sanctuary to explore how these approaches could be applied to support equine welfare within the UK. Undertaking surveys to help develop projects including the ‘Best in Show - Best Hoof Health’ at Appleby Horse Fair, a project designed to help build relationships through the shared celebration of best practice. In 2016, I worked as part of the Equestrian Support Team at the Rio Olympics under the FEI flag. In 2017, I was awarded the ‘BHS Welfare Award’ by the British Horse Society, in recognition of my work supporting equine welfare. 

In the same year, I began working at Hereford School of Farriery as part of the Farriery Lecturer team. Undertaking an audit of teaching and assessment practice to develop blended learning approaches relevant to Farrier Apprentices as distance work-based learners, including Moodle, sculptural anatomy and reflective video; with a project utilising augmented reality to support understanding of welfare indicators receiving a Beacon Award in 2020. In 2019 I began to lead the delivery and administration of the new Farriery Standards Apprenticeship, including the development of the curriculum model, scheme of work and an internal quality assurance process that utilises data analysis to develop evidence-based approaches. 

In 2020 I successfully completed a Diploma in Education and in 2021 I successfully completed a Graduate Diploma in Equine Locomotor Research at the Royal Veterinary College. Engaging the support of NEWC members to undertake a participatory learning and action project to develop and test a welfare assessment tool for hoof health. 

In 2022, I lead the Farriery Lecturer Teams' participation within a ‘deep dive’ of the L3 Farriery Standards Apprenticeship course undertaken as part of the HLNSC Ofsted visit. Working along-side the Head of Holme Lacy Campus to support understanding of the curriculum intent, scheme of work and the internal quality assurance process utilised to track and support the development of learners through their apprenticeship journey. With the course referenced as an example of best practice within the Ofsted report.

In 2023, I began working as part of the FCS DET Course Lecturer team, supporting learners develop and deliver educational resources within their own specialist areas through the delivery of Unit 13 (and since 2024, Unit 26). In the same year, I began working as part of the HLNSC Teaching and Learning Mentoring team. Assisting new tutors to orientate themselves within their new working environment at HLNSC, by supporting understanding of their roles and responsibilities, college systems and the development cycle. Contributing to quality and best practice through the development and delivery of resources within staff development activities and virtual learning platforms. In July of 2023 I facilitated an inspection by the FRC Approvals Committee at HLNSC, with the report citing observation of excellence and innovation. Most recently, in 2024, I have developed and delivered the Pearsons BTEC L3 Award in Education and Training as a Train the Trainer for Farriery Apprentices course (TTFA)  to support Farriers with Level 5 qualifications gain the Approved Training Farrier (ATF) status with the Farriers Registration Council (FRC). 

In 2024, I began working at Barnsley College as a Teaching and Learning Coach, working as part of the Barnsley College Teaching and Learning Coaching team. Assisting new tutors develop the quality of their teaching practice within their own specialist area by supporting understanding of their roles and responsibilities, college systems and pedagogical approaches. Contributing to quality and best practice through the development and delivery of resources within staff development activities and delivery of the PGCE."

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