A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our first ever virtual “Horse Management Seminar” webinar series.
All of the webinars have now been uploaded to our Library, and are available for viewing.
The “Equine Health” Session brings together Michael Fugaro, VMM, dACVS and Lynsey Makkreel, DVM to discuss some of the different aspects of equine health, both in relation to the horse, as well as within the equine veterinary community.
Dr. Fugaro of Mountain Pointe Equine presents on “Economical Veterinary Care” and covers recent increases in veterinary care costs, that status of the veterinary care community, and the importance of planning ahead and insurance for equine emergencies. Dr. Makkreel of Foundation Equine presents on “Tips for Keeping your Horse Sound” and covers the importance of establishing a solid relationship with your equine professionals (Vet/farrier/trainer) as they will be your best resource for keeping your horse sound; the importance of understanding basic trimming/ shoeing principles and utilizing resources to get it right; and the importance of principles in equine saddle fit, fitness, and footing.
The “Equine Behavior & Training” Session brings together Sara Malone, Ph.D.; Ph.D. Candidate Ellen Rankins; and Angelo Telatin, Ph.D. to discuss some of the different aspects of behavior and training.
Dr. Malone and Ph.D. Candidate Rankins from Rutgers University present “Evaluating Horse Welfare” and discuss animal welfare and how it applies to performance horses, re-evaluating common horse management techniques to maximize equine welfare, and current topics that may impact the social license of holding horse events. Dr. Telatin from Delaware Valley Univeristy presents on “Using Learning Theory to Train Horses,” discussing timing of rewards as the most important factor with training, the importance of repetition (and how to change things up if results aren’t being observed), and the importance of not stressing the horse.
The “Equine Nutrition” Session brings together Burt Staniar, Ph.D. and Krishona Martinson, Ph.D. to discuss some of the importance of fiber.
Dr. Staniar from The Pennsylvania State University presents “Fiber and its Importance to Horses” and discusses the importance of dietary fiber, how to define fiber (the difference between the the chemical and physical definition and how this effects how you feed your horse), and the optimal inclusion of dietary fiber depending on your specific horse. Dr. Martinson from the University of Minnesota presents “Forage/Pasture Practical Research You Can Use” and explores the different types of forages (e.g. warm-season grasses, cool-season grasses, legumes) and how they have different amounts of fiber components, how to use these unique characteristics to help choose forages best suited for your horse, and the connection between forage maturity and digestibility.
We hope that everyone enjoyed the 2021 Horse Management Seminar Webinar Series as much as we did. Please remember to check our website events section frequently as events are populated as they are finalized. Events of note include the “Junior Breeders Livestock Symposium” which will be held on March 27th. For more details as the events go live, please visit: https://esc.rutgers.edu/outreach-events/