university of kentucky | Horse Racing Free Tips

INQUIRY Presented By Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders And Owners Association: Favorite Sports Teams On The Sales Grounds?

Horse racing tiptoes the line between sport and business, but when its participants look outside of racing for entertainment, where do they go?

In this edition of INQUIRY, we see who participants in the bloodstock industry cheer for away from the racetrack by asking the question, “What is your favorite sports team?”

Donato Lanni – Hill 'n' Dale Farms

“My favorite team is the Chicago Blackhawks. It's an electric place to go watch a game, and I met and got to know Joel Quenneville, their [former] coach, through John Sikura, and John's nephew played for the Blackhawks, so it's nice to see that all come together. Denis Savard, Eddie Olczyk, a lot of those Blackhawks seem to like the horse business. You see them out in the grandstand, and it's pretty cool.”

Mark Taylor – Taylor Made Sales Agency

“The Clemson Tigers. I went to Clemson, and if you went to Clemson, it's a cult, and once you get indoctrinated, you can't get it out of your blood. I live, breathe, eat, sleep Clemson football. I went down there a basketball fan because I'm from Kentucky, but I came out a football fan.”

Stuart Morris – Morris Bloodstock Services

“University of Kentucky basketball, man. If you've gotta ask twice, don't ask me again.”

Carrie Brogden – Machmer Hall Sales

“I'm going to have to go with the James Madison University Dukes, which is my alma mater. They are a basketball school. We used to go to all their games when I was young and it was great fun.”

Hanzly Albina – Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services

“I don't really follow sports. Horse racing is my sport.”

Craig Bernick – Glen Hill Farm

“I like the Chicago Cubs because they used to play in the daytime, so you'd come home from school and watch the last few innings. The minute I got my driver's license, I was driving up there, parking my car, and buying tickets. I learned how to scalp tickets a little bit, and just spent a lot of time in that area. When I went to college, it was the one team that was still on TV, so I could follow them. They've always been my favorite team, by far.”

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UK Gluck Equine Research Center Launches National Survey On Older Horses

While horses aged 15 years and over make up a significant portion of the U.S. equine population, surprisingly little is currently known about their management and health status. In response, the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center is launching a survey to better understand the special needs of this age group.

Eligible survey participants should own one or more horses that currently reside(s) in the U.S. While the survey focuses on horses, including ponies, aged 15 years and older, owners of younger horses are also invited to participate in the survey. The survey takes between three and 25 minutes to complete. The survey can be accessed at https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bxAeIRSVM6gAOvb, and will be available through Nov. 20. Participants will also have the option to enter a raffle to win two bags of BUCKEYE Nutrition feed (1st prize), or four pounds of Reasons Joint Support Treats (2nd and 3rd prizes).

The survey project is coordinated by Alisa Herbst, a doctoral candidate at the Gluck Center in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, who is concentrating on the aging process of horses. She is being supervised by assistant professor Amanda Adams, a specialist working with geriatric horses.

“The main goal of this survey is to create a management and health profile of U.S. horses aged 15-plus years,” she said. “By applying the insights that we gather from the survey, and other work in my PhD, I hope that we can provide improved support for those managing horses of this age group.”

Herbst is collaborating on this project with an international and national research team that includes Adams; Patricia Harris, professor, veterinarian and director of science at MARS Horsecare and head of the equine studies group at WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute; Michelle Coleman, veterinarian and assistant professor at Texas A & M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; and Erica Macon, doctoral candidate at UK's Gluck Center. MARS Equestrian is providing sponsorship for this study.

“We're very excited about the information that this survey will provide. While much beloved by their owners, we still know very little about the specific needs of this population. I look forward to hearing more about the results from this survey, and I greatly appreciate the sponsorships provided by MARS Equestrian for this effort,” said David Horohov, chair of UK's Department of Veterinary Science and director of the Gluck Center.

The contribution of every horse owner, and especially those with any horse or pony over 15 years of age, will be vital for the success of this project and the continued improvement in the health of horses.

MARS Equestrian Fellow At UK’s Gluck Equine Research Center Continues To Assist Older Horses

Horses aged 15 and over make up between 20 to 30 percent of the United States equine population. An important milestone will be reached this year in the quest to learn more about this population. October marks the one-year anniversary of Amanda Adams, associate professor at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center specializing in aged horse research, becoming the first MARS Equestrian Fellow. This fellowship supports her work to improve not only how the industry cares for senior horses but also how veterinarians can better diagnose the conditions and diseases that affect them.

According to Linda Mars, gaining a better understanding of how nutritional and management requirements change with age and activity will help the industry provide the best possible care to horses and ponies throughout their lives.

As horses age, they face an increased risk for some common conditions and diseases. One of those, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, develops in approximately 20 percent of senior horses. Another condition, equine metabolic syndrome, is associated with insulin dysregulation and often obesity. This can occur in all aged animals but may have additional adverse consequences in the older horse. Both are associated with the development of laminitis, a very painful and debilitating condition of the hoof that is often life ending.

These are just two of the key problems that Adams' team has been able to work on with MARS Equestrian support. Her team has established and maintains a unique herd of nearly 80 aged, obese and metabolic syndrome horses. The herd is the only one of its kind in the U.S., and it provides unique opportunities to study geriatric and endocrine diseases in horses.

According to Adams, most of what her team knows and what they are learning about aging and endocrine diseases in this population of special needs horses wouldn't be possible without access to this research herd.

“In a short period of time, we have made major breakthroughs in gaining a better understanding of how to nutritionally manage horses suffering from insulin dysregulation, specifically in equine metabolic syndrome horses. We are also learning that the season has a profound influence on the metabolic responses of these diseased horses, which will help shed light on why these horses may develop laminitis at certain times of the year,” said Adams, a faculty member of the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “Over the last year, we have also been working to define sarcopenia (an age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength) in aged horses and how specific diet and exercise routines may reverse or improve that muscle loss. Furthermore, we are studying what effect exercise has on the inflammation-aging response in aged horses.”

While the progress is promising, Adams said that more work is needed. In addition to learning how to better manage these horses, there is a need at the basic scientific level to understand how the aging process affects the horse's immunity, metabolic status and nutritional needs.

“The many problems we face with the aging horse are important given the growing senior horse population,” said Pat Harris, Director of Science, MARS Horsecare. “Thus, it is critical that we continue these efforts to advance the field and improve our knowledge in senior horse care,” “ultimately creating a better world for horses” added Bridgett McIntosh, Director of MARS Equestrian.

UK Ag Equine Students Give Back To Equine Community During Inaugural Equine Week of Service

University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment's Equine Programs put on its first Equine Week of Service Sept. 28-Oct. 3. Armed with sanitizer, masks and the desire to give back to the equine industry, students in a leadership program, the Wildcat Wranglers, created and implemented this week of service to give students a chance to get some hands-on experience they may be missing this semester.

“We put together the UK Equine Week of Service as a way to get out into the community, out of the classroom and off our computers during a time where we are not getting as much hands-on experience as we usually would,” said Mackenzie Johnson, a Wildcat Wrangler and UK senior studying equine science and management. “We wanted to give our students a chance to get involved in the equine industry and start making those vital connections with different industry professionals, all while doing a few good deeds along the way.”

Students, faculty, staff and alumni donated around 550 hours of volunteer time to seven local equine organizations in the Lexington area including Blue Grass Farms Charities, Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, Kentucky Equine Adoption Center, Kentucky Horse Park, New Vocations, Our Mims Retirement Haven and the Secretariat Center. Students comprised 86 percent of the volunteers.

Students in the Wildcat Wranglers coordinated volunteers and promoted the service event via social media.

Grace Camp, a UK equine science and management senior, said she feels the event was a good way to get involved off campus.

“I wanted to sign up for the UK Equine Week of Service to help give back to the amazing equine organizations here in Central Kentucky. Also, with my classes being mostly online, I thought this would be a great way to get out of my house and make a difference,” Camp said.

Anne Boggess, a UK undergraduate student who volunteered at the Kentucky Horse Park, said it was beneficial to connect the different communities through service work.

“I think the week of service is important, because it connects so many different communities in a time where everyone is trying to find a new normal. The week put good people together with a goal of doing good work for wonderful organizations,” Boggess said.

According to Kristen Wilson, academic coordinator in UK Ag Equine Programs and advisor of the Wildcat Wranglers, the inaugural event was successful and hopefully helped equine organizations in their day-to-day functions.

“One of the goals of our Wildcat Wrangler student leadership team is to build community among our equine students. The UK Equine Week of Service is such a great way for our students to serve our local equine community in an event lead by our Wildcat Wrangler team. It has been so much fun to work with them as the team's advisor and seeing their vision become a reality,” Wilson said.

James MacLeod, director of UK Ag Equine Programs, echoed her sentiments, adding that he hopes it will become an annual tradition.

“We can all be proud of everything the students have accomplished. The broad participation and enthusiasm are wonderful, with both the host organizations and the volunteers living the commitment to be the change you wish to see in the world,” MacLeod said.

This event was supported by local equine industry organizations. Additionally, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital provided hand sanitizer to the participating organizations and volunteers.

To see recaps from the week, visit UK Ag Equine Programs' Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages or learn more at equine.ca.uky.edu/.

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