Due to Cyclone Yasi, Kentucky Equine Research (KER) has rescheduled its equine nutrition lecture tour dates in New South Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand. These presentations will take place July 18-26, 2011. Details will be announced at a later date.
KER has contacted those who were pre-registered to attend.Â
The cyclone is the latest in a series of severe weather incidents in Queensland. For more information, see “KER Steps In to Help Australian Flood Victims.”
Kentucky Equine Research (KER) has established a graduate student fellowship at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture to honor the memory of Larry Lawrence, Ph.D., who was a valued employee of KER for many years.
The Lawrence Fellowship, worth more than $25,000 per year, will fund a graduate student in a program of study related to applied equine sciences.
The first fellowship recipient is Catherine Whitehouse, a former KER intern who earned a degree in equine science at Lincoln University in England, where she prepared a dissertation on seasonal changes in nonstructural carbohydrate accumulation in pasture grasses as related to the etiology of laminitis.
"KER looks forward to supporting University of Kentucky's goal of improving the health and well-being of horses through the education of graduate students at the UK College of Agriculture," said Joe Pagan, Ph.D., founder and president of KER.
Whitehouse will be advised by Bob Coleman, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Animal and Food Sciences Department and the associate director of the Equine Initiative.
"An important goal of the College of Agriculture's Equine Initiative is to provide relevant programs for Kentucky's signature industry," said Nancy Cox, Ph.D., associate dean for research at the UK College of Agriculture. "To have an important industrial partner like KER provide a fellowship of this magnitude is an expression of confidence in our programs that is much appreciated."
Lawrence joined KER in 2002, when he accepted the responsibilities of leading the company's technical staff and providing support for the company's stateside and international clients.
"I had the pleasure of knowing Larry for over 25 years," said Pagan. "I will always remember Larry as a superb horseman, a talented nutritionist, and a friend. Larry had a rare gift that allowed him to communicate complex nutritional principles in terms that horsemen could understand. His contribution to equine nutrition and KER was substantial."
Kentucky Equine Research
Kentucky Equine Research (KER) is one of the foremost private equine nutrition and exercise physiology research centers in the world. As an international equine nutrition, research, and consultation company serving both the horse producer and the feed industry, KER's goal is to advance the industry's knowledge of equine nutrition and exercise physiology and apply this knowledge to produce healthier, more athletic horses at all stages of life.
For more information about KER, visit ker.com. For information from KER about equine nutrition and health, including articles, videos, webinars, and in-depth reports, log on to KER's new website Equinews.com.
UK Equine Initiative
The Equine Initiative encompasses all equine activities within the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. It includes more than 50 faculty and staff with an equine focus across eight different departments.
Six years after the implementation of the Equine Initiative, many strides have been made, and UK has forged numerous partnerships with key constituents and organizations. There is now a thriving equine undergraduate degree program, increased research in many areas of equine science, and greater equine outreach.
For more information, contact Equine Initiative.
Ardverness Almira, a two-year-old filly owned by Marie Kukawski, won the led part-bred Andalusian youngstock class at the 2011 Royal Melbourne Horse Show in Australia. The filly is by the national champion PRE (Pura Raza Espanola) stallion Pagan MF and out the Anglo-Arabian mare Abbeyance Almira.
Ardverness Almira joined stablemate Zorra MFI (also by Pagan MF) as a Royal Show winner. Zorra MFI claimed victory in the led purebred class and was also named the reserve champion led purebred at this year's event.
Both horses were given a variety of Kentucky Equine Research (KER) supplements in preparation for the horse show, including All-Phase, Equi-Jewel, Bio-Bloom, and Restore. In addition to these, they were fed Barastoc Groom, which is a blend of high-quality protein meals, oils, live yeast culture, vitamins, and minerals. Barastoc Groom is manufactured by KER Team Member Ridley AgriProducts.
The broodmares at Kukawski's farm are typically fed All-Phase from the time they are bred through early lactation, and then are fed Low GI Cube throughout the remainder of lactation.
The Royal Melbourne Horse Show is the largest breed show in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting over 1,000 competitors to the annual event. The next major events for both horses will be The Victorian State Championships to be held in March this year.
Kukawski is employed by KER as the Australasia marketing manager.
The devastating floods of Queensland and northern New South Wales, Australia, have impacted the local communities in an unfathomable way and touched the hearts of all Australians and thousands of people around the world.
Nearly a quarter million people have been directly affected by the floods. At least 30 people have lost their lives, and many are missing.
Some of the hardest hit regions have been rural communities, and several Kentucky Equine Research (KER) clients and Team Member employees have been affected. KER has played a role in supporting those communities by providing feed, supplements, and advice.
KER has joined forces with the Queensland Horse Council to distribute electrolytes and supplements to support the immune system of these traumatised horses. Many horses have come through the ordeal exceptionally well and are on the road to a full recovery.
Joe Pagan, Ph.D., founder and president of Kentucky Equine Research (KER), is scheduled to speak at a special symposium being held in conjunction with the 2011 American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) National Convention, March 3-4, Reno, Nevada.
The symposium, titled "Acid-Base and Body Fluid Management in the Endurance Horse," features several researchers and key figures in the sport-horse industry. On the morning of March 3, Pagan will give a presentation, "Oral Electrolyte Absorption and Distribution in the Body." He will then participate in a discussion and Q-and-A later in the day.
The majority of the sessions are open to anyone with an interest in endurance.
KER is cosponsoring the symposium with the American Competitive Horse Consortium and Abaxis.
Horse owners, managers, trainers, and other industry professionals are always looking for accurate, dependable horse care information, especially if that information is focused on science-based nutrition. Kentucky Equine Research (KER) is proud to announce the official launch of Equinews.com, named after the company's award-winning magazine Equinews.
As a special launch promotion, KER is offering daily drawings of embroidered saddle pads and KER products for those who register on Equinews.com between January 24 and 28. Register at www.equinews.com/user. Winners will be contacted via email and announced on the Kentucky Equine Research and Equinews Facebook profiles.
Equinews.com houses hundreds of articles, scientific papers, videos, and webinars, with content added daily by KER's global staff of experts. One popular feature is the question and answer forum, where the company's nutritionists respond to reader queries.
The site also features a calendar of public horse-related events, a competition news section, and access to four weekly electronic newsletters ; The Weekly Feed nutrition newsletters created for Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and Equine Health Review newsletters, also with Northern and Southern Hemisphere editions.
"For nearly 25 years Kentucky Equine Research has been a leading source of quality nutrition information for the worldwide horse industry," said Global Marketing Manager Kimberly S. Brown. "We have expanded our focus slightly on Equinews.com in order to close the circle on nutrition and other health considerations of the horse."
Register at www.equinews.com/user to be entered to win saddle pads and KER products. Several drawings will take place each day January 24 through 28. Winners will be contacted via email and posted on the Equinews and KER Facebook pages.
Equine metabolic syndrome refers to a condition in which an inappropriate insulin reaction occurs after a horse consumes carbohydrate-rich hay or feed. So how do you feed these horses without setting them up for a crisis?
That's the topic Dr. Kathleen Crandell, an equine nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research (KER), will tackle during a free webinar on Tuesday, January 25, at 1 p.m. Eastern U.S. time.
Dr. Crandell will review the basics of equine metabolic syndrome and its relation to insulin resistance, and will give attendees tips on managing these horses. She will also be available to answer any questions after the presentation.
The Webinar is free, but attendance is limited. To reserve your spot, please fill out the form below.
Can't make it to the live premier? The presentation will be archived and available for future viewing on Equinews.com.
Kentucky Equine Research is an international equine nutrition and exercise physiology research, consultation, and product development company. By providing a variety of products and services to horse owners, equine industry professionals, and the feed industry, KER strives to advance the industry's knowledge of equine nutrition and exercise physiology and apply this knowledge to produce healthier, more athletic horses of all ages. For more information, visit www.ker.com.
Kentucky Equine Research (KER) was recently named the Kentucky Horse Council's 2010 Educational Partner of the Year. The honor was received at the group's annual awards banquet held in mid-January.
KER was selected for the award as a result of its partnership with the Kentucky Horse Council (KHC), which allows the group to reprint articles from KER in its weekly e-newsletter.
"While we try to cover a range of topics and include a variety of expert authors in our featured educational articles, we continue to borrow from the Kentucky Equine Research library," said Fernanda Camargo, chairwoman of the KHC's Education Committee. "We've reprinted a variety of their articles from disaster management to disease prevention. Consistently their articles are well written, professionally researched, and accessible to our diverse readership."
KER's collection of equine nutrition and horse health and management articles is available on Equinews.com.
Kentucky Equine Research is an international equine nutrition and exercise physiology research, consultation, and product development company. By providing a variety of products and services to horse owners, equine industry professionals, and the feed industry, KER strives to advance the industry's knowledge of equine nutrition and exercise physiology and apply this knowledge to produce healthier, more athletic horses of all ages. For more information, visit www.ker.com.
Hallway Feeds, a Kentucky Equine Research Team Member, was the feed supplier for three of the newly named Eclipse Award winners for the 2010 racing season. These outstanding horses trained and raced on Hallway feed products, finding success on the track and bringing plaudits to their owners and trainers.
Named to an Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year was Zenyatta, winner of 19 consecutive races during her track career. She claimed five Grade 1 victories in 2010. Previous to 2010, Zenyatta won three straight Eclipse Awards as Champion Older Female. She also holds the record of $7,304,580 in career earnings for a female racing in North America. Zenyatta has been retired sound to Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky where she will begin her broodmare career this spring.
Blame, the winner of the 2010 Eclipse Award for Older Male, started five times in 2010 and posted a record of four wins and a second-place finish. His earnings were $3,751,467.
Looking At Lucky was named Eclipse Award winner in the Three-Year-Old Male group. The colt had four wins in seven starts in 2010 including the Preakness Stakes, and also posted a third-place finish. He earned $2,064,278.
Shelly Temple, a KER-sponsored elite equestrian and national champion combined driver, has set her competition goals for 2011, including representing the United States at the World Combined Pony Driving Championships in Lipica, Slovenia, located in central Europe.
Temple's competition schedule for the spring and summer include Sunshine State (Florida), Little Everglades (Florida), Live Oak International (Florida), and Southern Pines (North Carolina).
Her expertise is not confined to competition, and Temple will once again serve as a judge at a few of the country's top combined driving events: Nature Coast HDT (Florida), Metamore CDE (Michigan), and The CDE at Inavale (Oregon). In 2010, she officiated at eight competitions.
Temple is based in Windsor, South Carolina and can be reached through her website.
Kathy Broaddus, D.V.M., of Broad Run Veterinary Service in Virginia, was selected as the grand prize winner of a giveaway sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research (KER) at this year's American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention, held late last year in Baltimore, Maryland.
Broaddus won a free nutrition seminar for her colleagues and clients, which will be led by Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., one of KER's equine nutritionists.
The seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, February 23. A reception with refreshments will start at 5 p.m., and Crandell's presentation, "10 Feeding Myths Debunked," will begin at 6 p.m. A Q-and-A session will be held after the presentation.
Broad Run Veterinary Service is a mobile equine practice with locations in Bluemont, Purcellville, and Herndon, Va. The clinic provides health care and dental services in Loudoun, Clarke, Fauquier, and Fairfax Counties in Northern Virginia, as well as in nearby areas of West Virginia and Maryland.
Broad Run Veterinary Service has provided 23 years of friendly, personal service to its clients. The veterinarians offer routine and advanced services, including lameness and prepurchase exams, vaccinations, dentistry, performance and sport horse medicine, internal medicine consultations, Eastern and Western medicines and procedures, acupuncture and chiropractic treatments, and emergency care. They also work closely with other medical specialists and farriers to ensure each client's horse is given the best health and medical care. More information about Broad Run Veterinary Service can be found at www.broadrunvet.com.
Kentucky Equine Research is an international equine nutrition and exercise physiology research, consultation, and product development company. By providing a variety of products and services to horse owners, equine industry professionals, and the feed industry, KER strives to advance the industry's knowledge of equine nutrition and exercise physiology and apply this knowledge to produce healthier, more athletic horses of all ages. For more information, visit www.ker.com.
Shelly Temple, a KER-sponsored elite equestrian, shared her enthusiasm for combined driving at two different venues last year.
Temple was a featured speaker at the 2010 Driving Forum, The Premier Driving Conference and Trade Show in Nashua, New Hampshire. This event, held in March, attracted more than 1600 combined driving aficionados.
The following month, Temple presented a webinar for the American Driving Society. The title of her presentation was "Driven Dressage, the Basics," and the live webinar attracted more than 300 viewers. Participants were encouraged to ask questions at the end of the webinar, and Temple fielded these queries with ease.
The webinar is available through the American Driving Society website.
Temple's business, Catalyst Driving Center, is based in Windsor, South Carolina. Learn more about Temple and her accomplishments on her website.
Hallway Feeds customers Winstar Farm and Claiborne Farm placed well in the list of top breeders by total purse earnings for 2010. Winstar claimed fifth place with $5,390,660 in earnings from 705 starts. Winstar's horses finished first, second, or third in 326 of those starts. Claiborne was in sixth place on the list with $4,606,322 in earnings from 187 starts in which the farm's horses finished first, second, or third 87 times. Hallway Feeds is a Team Member of Kentucky Equine Research.
The year 2011 has been designated World Veterinary Year. The United States Congress has passed a resolution recognizing the 250th anniversary of organized veterinary medicine and the valuable role veterinarians play in our society.
Veterinary medicine is commonly considered to have started in 1761 when King Louis XV of France became interested in the prevention of cattle disease, the protection of grazing land, and the training of farmers. He charged Henri-Leonard Bertin with setting this agricultural reform in motion, and one of Bertin's first actions was proposing that a veterinary school be founded in Lyon.
Kentucky Equine Research is an official educational partner of the World Equine Veterinary Association, an organization whose mission is to advance the health and welfare of horses worldwide by promoting and offering quality continuing education for equine practitioners.
Janet Worts recently won the 50-mile AERC Pacific South Region 50-Mile Endurance Ride on Sunday, January 8, 2011. The ride was held at Warner Springs Ranch, about 60 miles northeast of San Diego. Worts was pleased with her performance, having achieved her fastest time at this distance. She also earned the overall best condition award. Worts uses Fibregized Omega and EnduroEvent Ener-G. Both products are manufactured by Kentucky Equine Research (KER) Team Member Pennfield Feeds, and formulations were created by the equine nutrition experts at KER.
Combined driver Chester Weber, the eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving champion, will donate a package for two days of training during the silent auction at the upcoming "Salute to Driving" USET Fundraiser for driving. Weber will give the winner of the silent auction two days of instruction with either his or her own horses or Weber's.
Weber is a Kentucky Equine Research (KER) sponsored equestrian.
The "Salute to Driving" fundraiser is a weekend for all levels to learn and have fun. The event includes two days of Advanced/FEI-level and ADS lower-level clinics, a benefit party, combined test, and other activities to help educate equine enthusiasts from other disciplines.
"Salute to Driving" will be held on Chateau Log Farm and Courage to Lead Farm in Windsor, South Carolina, and the Country Dinner Benefit will be held at Trout Walk Farm in Aiken, South Carolina. The event will take place February 19 - 21, 2011. "I am really looking forward to the "Salute to Driving" weekend and especially offering a package for two days of training at the silent auction. I believe the USET is a very worthy cause and the money raised during this weekend will go toward sending the U.S. driving athletes to international competitions," Weber said. "During the weekend there will be developing drivers clinics given by Larry Poulin and a two-day advanced long-listed drivers clinic with Michael Freund, so it should be a fantastic experience for everyone involved."
The weekend will also include a combined test judged by Freund, Marth Nicoll, Marsoe LaRose, and Craig Kellogg. During the lunch break of the combined test, there will be a pas de deux with Phillip Dutton riding and Shelly Temple driving. Both Dutton and Temple are also part of KER's elite lineup of sponsored equestrians.
A ten-stop lecture tour in Australia and New Zeland is set to start in late January with nutritionists from Kentucky Equine Research (KER) as the featured speakers. Among those speaking will be KER founder and president Joe Pagan, Ph.D.
All proceeds from the tour will be donated to Riding for the Disabled in Australia and CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust in New Zealand. The registration fee is $15 per person. Attendees are welcome to register and pay at the door.
Further information on the tour.
Update: Due to the Category 4 cyclone Yasi approaching Queensland,
Kentucky Equine Research (KER) has rescheduled its lecture tour dates in New
South Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand. These presentations will instead take place July 18-26, with details to be announced at a later date. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The Chronicle of the Horse, one of the world's most revered sport horse periodicals, spotlighted the exposure given Kentucky Equine Research (KER) with a feature article about the production of the "Dirty Jobs" episode.
The crew from "Dirty Jobs," one of the Discovery Channel's highest rated shows, spent nearly 12 hours filming the one-hour episode. Many facets of equine nutrition research are included in the final footage. Watch preview videos of the episode here.
The article that appeared in The Chronicle of the Horse can be accessed here.
Included in the article are interviews by two of the principles during the day's filming: Jilanne Lange, the manager of the KER research farm, and Bryan Waldridge, D.V.M., the company's in-house veterinarian.
Joe Pagan, Ph.D., founder and president of Kentucky Equine Research, was pleased with the final cut of the show, which first ran in late November, and hopes that people better understand the exacting science involved in formulating world-class feeds.
Brook Dobbin won the Australian League World Cup Jumping finals, riding his young star Advisor, an 11-year-old grey gelding by Belcam Agassi. Brook and Advisor also won the Golden Grand perpetual trophy for the most successful horse, a feat that has not occurred by a Victorian combination in over a decade.
Dobbin bought Advisor in May 2009 and said that the first four months of ownership were very testing. "He had a mind of his own, and I wondered whether or not I was wasting my time. After about four months something clicked, and we haven't looked back," said Dobbin, who runs a training centre, Glenwood Park, in Yarra Glen (Vic) with his wife Angela.
It has been a rapid rise to the top for the pair. Dobbin started Advisor in his first World Cup class at Sydney Royal in 2010. "I had hoped to do a few World Cups and finish OK," said Dobbin. "If you had told me I would win the League, I would have never believed you!" Previously, Dobbin's best finish on the leaderboard was third.
Dobbin would love to go to the World Cup Final, but it won't be this year. "The horse is not ready. I will go to New Zealand in March and then come back to compete in the World Cup events in Australia. Next year I hope to be in the same position that I am in now and have the opportunity to go to the 2012 final." Either way Dobbin plans to take the horse to Europe in 2012.
Until this year Dobbin was best known for his performances on Shine, Victorian Jumping Horse of the Year for three consecutive years. "Advisor has taken the heat off Shine," said Dobbin. "Shine is only 15.2 and all heart but not quite big enough for the serious stuff."
This year the final round of the World Cup was held at Shepparton (Vic). Dobbin and Advisor were runners-up at Shepparton.
Brook would like to thank Kentucky Equine Research for the company's valued support over many years.
Shelly Temple, a KER-sponsored elite equestrian, earned top ribbons at some of the country's most prestigious combined driving competitions in 2010.
A rundown of her accomplishments includes victories at Laurels at Landhope CDE (Pennsylvania; advanced single pony), Iron Horse CDE (Illinois, advanced single pony), Pine Tree CDE (North Carolina, preliminary pair pony), and the Katydid CDE (South Carolina, preliminary pony pair).
At the Live Oak International CDE (Florida), Temple claimed top honors in the FEI single pony division and won the prestigious Hanzi Award, selected by the judges and given to the best horse or pony at the show).
Temple was named the USEF National Champion-Single Pony and her Morgan gelding Cooper was chosen as the 2010 USEF Horse of the Year for Combined Driving. The 2011 driving season is just around the corner, and Temple is looking forward to a new set of challenges.
Temple's training base is at Catalyst Driving Center, Windsor, South Carolina.
Zenyatta, the champion race mare who was recently retired from the track after winning 19 of 20 career starts, has been honored by the Associated Press (AP) for the second year in a row. The AP listed Zenyatta in second place on its list of outstanding female athletes of 2010, just below Olympic gold medal skier Lindsey Vonn. In 2009, Zenyatta was listed second to tennis player Serena Williams. During her racing career, trainer John Shirreffs chose feeds produced by Kentucky Equine Research Team Member Hallway Feeds to fuel the mare's training and competition performance.
Blame, Lookin at Lucky, and Zenyatta finished the 2010 racing season as the three top money-earning Thoroughbreds in North America. This statistic is based on year- end figures compiled by Equibase Company LLC showing that Blame led the list with earnings of $3,751,467. Lookin At Lucky was in second place with $2,064,278 and Zenyatta was third on the list with $1,830,000. Trainers for these horses were Al Stall, Jr., Bob Baffert, and John Shirreffs, respectively. To fuel the training and racing demands of their equine charges, these trainers unanimously chose products supplied by Hallway Feeds, a Kentucky Equine Research Team Member.
The Thoroughbred Times recently published an article about KER's appearance on the hit television series "Dirty Jobs," shown on the Discovery Channel.
The show originally aired in late November, and since then Joe Pagan, Ph.D., founder and president of KER, has been receiving messages congratulating him on the segment. For Pagan, the most positive result of this experience is the national exposure that equine nutrition has received. According to him, even a business competitor expressed delight with the coverage.
Did you miss the original airing of "Dirty Jobs" that featured the work done at KER? Here's a preview of what you missed. Check out the "Dirty Jobs" website to find out when this episode will be airing again.
