The 14th Annual Kentucky Equine Research Nutrition Conference brought the industry a diverse program. The first day of this year's conference centered on the revision of Nutrient Requirements of Horses, with a strong focus on the feed industry's point of view. The last revision of Nutrient Requirements of Horses was published by the National Research Council (NRC) in 1989. A committee has been formed to create an updated version to be completed by the summer of 2005. Since the last changes were made, several new findings have added to our knowledge of equine nutrition. Along with useful review presentations on the current state of equine nutrition and management, new research from KER about energy requirements for exercise was unveiled. At the end of the day, an open forum was held to allow members of the feed industry to suggest material that should be included in the revised publication.

With each passing day, scientists uncover more and more about our equine companions. Some of this newfound knowledge has a direct impact on how horses are fed and managed. The theme of the second day of the conference was "Equine Nutrition: Clinical Focus". The presentations addressed concerns that have come to the forefront of the equine nutrition and veterinary communities in recent years.

The 2004 Kentucky Equine Research Nutrition Conference was designated by the NRC committee as an official forum for members of the feed industry to have input into the revision of Nutrient Requirements of Horses. To better organize industry contributions in the development of the new publication, we need your assistance with a survey.

Information from the first 12 annual KER nutrition conferences has been compiled into two book volumes. To order these publications in print or CD format click here. Additionally, many of the papers contained in these volumes are available from our online reference library.