UNDERSTANDING what drives human behaviour is at the heart of horse health, but studies in this area have been lacking in equine veterinary science: Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) aims to address the shortfall with a special virtual collection of 20 articles on understanding owner behaviours and motivation, free for anyone to read until St Stephen’s Day.

Research in equine veterinary science has hitherto focused primarily on the information needed to prevent and cure disease, with little attention paid to the attitudes and actions of horse owners, veterinary surgeons, and numerous other professionals to implementing science-based advice. This virtual issue brings together 20 thought-provoking papers highlighting work performed around equine stakeholder knowledge, attitudes and values.