Steering Group

Steering Group

The Dairy Cattle Mobility Steering Group

This group consists of individuals who are unpaid volunteers. They either represent dairy industry stakeholders, or are academics, vets, hoof trimmers and farmers with expertise or interest in improving dairy cow foot health. It is chaired by Professor Martin Green of Nottingham University, and the secretariat function is provided by AHDB. It has been active since 2012, when it evolved from a steering group of the Healthy Feet Project, funded by the Tubney Charitable Trust, a landmark research initiative to reduce lameness in UK dairy herds, headed by Bristol University School of Veterinary Medicine during 2002-2006.

The guiding vision of the group is to improve lameness management in the National Dairy Herd and minimise lameness, with eradication of long term lame cows. It promotes the dissemination of knowledge about lameness reduction and prevention, horizon-scans for new developments, and advocates for better foot health in UK dairy herds.

In 2023, it helped to co-ordinate a meeting of dairy processors, retailers and others in the wider industry to decide a “road-map” for reducing lameness over the next 20 years. This Manifesto stems from that meeting.