Associate Professor Simon Daniels

Biography 

Associate Professor Equine Management & Science.

Simon has been involved with horses for the past 30 years starting out as a childhood hobby.

After completion of his undergraduate degree, Simon spent time in industry working as a nutritionist at an animal feed company specialising in equine nutrition. Following on from this role, he took a position working for the University of Liverpool as part of the School of Veterinary Medicine working with an industry partner to design and implement a parasitology diagnostic laboratory service.

This brought about the opportunity to undertake a part time PhD in the efficacy of equine anthelmintics and their effects on intestinal health which was completed at the University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine.  Completion of the diagnostic parasitology project with the University of Liverpool led to Simon's move back to full time academia.

In 2014, he joined the RAU's School of Equine Management and Science. Simon's main areas of interest remain within health of the equine gastrointestinal tract.

University responsibilities

Simon is the programme leader for BSc (Hons) Applied Equine Science and Business

Professional memberships

  • British Society of Animal Science
  • Royal Society of Biology
  • World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology
  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • European Workshop on Equine Nutrition (EWEN) 

For further information please visit https://dr-simon-daniels.co.uk/

Research

Research interests

Areas encompassing gastrointestinal health of horses with a focus upon parasitology and nutrition. Current work is focussing on the use of ‘Omics technologies in the identification of microbiota and use of metabolomics to inform gut health'. This approach involves sequencing bacterial DNA and using bioinformatics to identify microbiota profiles and predict metagenomics pathways. Metabolomics allows the identification of bacterial metabolites through mass spectrometry and multivariate statistical modelling. 

Other areas of research interest include the role of oxidative stress in gastrointestinal disease and associated diseases in the horse.  In vitro techniques for simulating equine foregut and hindgut digestion and the use of forage and novel forage diets for horses to improve gastrointestinal health.

Scholar - research profile

orcID - research profile

Teaching

Teaching areas

  • Equine Anatomy and Physiology
  • Equine Nutrition
  • Equine Bioveterinary Science
  • Turf and Forage Management

Supervision of undergraduate dissertations and supervision of post graduate research.

Publications

Journal articles peer reviewed:

  • Daniels, S.P., Hepworth, J. And Moore-Colyer, M.J.S. (2020). The haybiome: Characterising the viable bacterial community profile of four different hays for horses following different pre-feeding regimens. PLoS One. https://doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0242373  
  • Daniels, S.P., Leng, J., Swann, J. And Proudman, C.J. (2020). Bugs and drugs: a systems biology approach to characterising the effect of moxidectin on the horse’s faecal microbiome. Animal Microbiome. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-020-00056-2
  • Salem, S.E., Abd El-Ghany, Hamad, M.H., Abdelaal, A.M., Elsheikh, H.A,. Hamid, A.A., Saud, M.A., Daniels, S.P., Ras, R. (2020). Prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes, parasite control practices and anthelmintic resistance patterns in a working horse population in Egypt. Equine Veterinary Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13325
  • Moore-Colyer, M., Tuthill, P., Bannister, I. And Daniels, S.P. (2020). Growth Rates of Thoroughbred Foals and In Vitro Gut Health Parameters When Fed a Cereal or an All-Fiber Creep Feed. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2020.10319
  • Daniels, S.P. (2019). Friend or foe? Intestinal parasites of horses and sustainable worm control mechanisms. Veterinary Nursing Journal, 34:(3), 72-77.
  • Daniels, S.P., Scott, L., De Lavis, I., Linekar, A. and Hemmings, A.J. (2019). Crib Biting and Equine Gastric Ulceration Syndrome: do horses that display oral stereotypies have altered gastric anatomy and physiology? Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 30: 110-113.
  • Daniels, S.P. and Proudman, C.J. (2016) Shortened egg reappearance after ivermectin and moxidectin use in horses in the UK. The Veterinary Journal. 218: 36-39.
  • Daniels, S.P. and Proudman, C.J. (2016) Ovicidal efficacy of fenbendazole after treatment of horses naturally infected with cyathostomins. Veterinary Parasitology, 227: 151-156.

Conference contributions, peer reviewed:

  • Burgess, S. and Daniels, S.P. (2018). The effect of traditional bandages & breathable polo boots on the skin surface temperature of the distal forelimb during exercise in polo ponies. Proceedings of the 14th International Society of Equitation Science Conference. 21st-24th September, Rome Italy.
  • Hepworth, J., Daniels, S.P. and Moore-Colyer, M.J.S. (2018). The haybiome: characterising microbiota profiles of dry, soaked and high temperature steamed hays. Proceedings of the 9th European Workshop on Equine Nutrition, 16-18th August, Uppsala Sweden.
  • Hooky, A., Daniels, S.P. and Moore-Colyer, M.J.S. (2018). The effect of different steaming treatments on water soluble carbohydrate content in UK produced Timothy, Meadow and Perennial Ryegrass hays. Proceedings of the 9th European Workshop on Equine Nutrition, 16-18th August, Uppsala Sweden.
  • Tuthill, P., Daniels, S.P. and Moore-Colyer, M.J.S. (2018). The effect of a concentrate based diet or total fibre mixed ration (TMFR) on growth rates in Thoroughbred foals. Proceedings of the 9th European Workshop on Equine Nutrition, 16-18th August, Uppsala Sweden.
  • Bannister, I., Daniels, S.P. and Moore-Colyer, M.J.S. (2018). The effect of a concentrate based diet or total fibre mixed ration (TMFR) on in vitro stomach and hindgut health. Proceedings of the 9th European Workshop on Equine Nutrition, 16-18th August, Uppsala Sweden.
  • Linaker, A. and Daniels, S.P. (2018). Crib biting and equine gastric ulceration syndrome, is there a physiological link? Proceedings of the BSAS annual conference 2018, 9th -11th April 2018, Dublin, Ireland.
  • Daniels, S.P., Leng, J., Ellis, R., Swann, J., Moore-Colyer, M.J.S. and Proudman, C.J. (2017). The effect of moxidectin treatment on the equine hindgut microbiome, metabonome and feed fermentation kinetics in horses with very low parasite burdens. Proceedings of the 12th Colic Research Symposium, Lexington Kentucky published in Equine Veterinary Education. 29 (S8) 6.
  • Scott, L., de Lavis, I. and Daniels, S.P. (2017). Crib biting and equine gastric ulceration syndrome, is there an anatomical link? Proceedings of the 12th Colic Research Symposium, Lexington Kentucky published in Equine Veterinary Education. 29 (S8) 11.
  • Dolman, S. and Daniels, S. (2016). Anatomical differences in the equine pineal gland between gender and breed: a pilot study. Proceedings of the BSAS annual meeting 2016, Animal science for a sustainable future. 6th -7th April 2016, Chester.
  • Daniels, S. and Proudman, C.J. (2015) Trends in ivermectin and moxidectin egg reappearance in client owned horses over a four year period: a retrospective study. Proceedings of the WAAVP 2015 conference.16th-20th August 2015, Liverpool pg 367 [online] available from: http://www.waavp.org/content/waavp-proceedings [27/10/2015] 
  • Daniels, S. and Proudman, C.J. (2014). Macrocyclic lactone efficacy in client owned horses: a retrospective study 2008-2011. Proceedings of the eleventh International Colic Research Symposium, July 2014, Dublin.

Journal articles non peer reviewed:

  • Daniels, S.P., Neyroud, E. and Buchan, J. (2013). Fit not fat, start as you mean to continue… Equine Health.13: 14-16.

Lay press communications:

  • Daniels, S.P., (2012) Sustainable worming. Rider Magazine
  • Daniels, S.P., (2012) The value of faecal egg counts. Absolute Horse Magazine
  • Daniels, S.P., (2012) Sustainable worming. Central Horse News Magazine
  • Daniels, S.P., and others (2009) Dear Dietician Q & A. Horse and Hound Magazine