Rotational falls are the leading cause of death and serious injury in the equestrian sport of eventing. Wanting to make a sport she loves safer, University of Kentucky College of Engineering 2020 graduate Shannon Wood, MS, recently published the culmination of four years of research for her master’s thesis - a series of statistical models that better predict the likelihood of a rotational fall. She completed the work under Suzanne Weaver Smith, PhD, professor of mechanical engineering at UK.

The University of Kentucky Department of Veterinary Science hosted a free Zoom Continuing Education opportunity May 28, “Nipping disease in the bud, preventing treatment errors - unleash the power of the microchip.” The event featured Kevin Corley, BVM&S, PhD, DACVIM, DACVECCS, MRCVS, internal medicine specialist, and Alan Dorton, DVM, a renowned central Kentucky practitioner.

Kentucky pastures have exploded with the signature yellow buttercup flower. Buttercup is the common name for a group of species from the genus Ranunculus. Buttercups are sometimes classified as short-lived perennials, but often grow as winter annuals.

Michael “Mick” Peterson, director of the Racetrack Safety Program and a professor in the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Kentucky, also serves as executive director of the Racing Surfaces Laboratory.  He gave his ninth presentation on racetrack surface safety at the 2020 Jockey Club Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit. Presented remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his webinar covered recent advances in track safety research and implementation. The presentation covered three main topics, with Peterson speaking to pertinent researchers and racetrack leadership to illustrate current safety initiatives, best practices and future plans.

As a member of Peterson’s research team, first-year PhD student Peter Schmitt is using his engineering education and 10 years of industry experience to improve understanding of turf racing surfaces in the U.S.

Known as the “Queen of Forages,” alfalfa has long been accepted as one of the highest quality hays fed to horses. It is a widely adapted, perennial forage legume which produces more protein per acre than any other crop.

To provide a comprehensive overview of the advantages of feeding alfalfa hay to horses, the National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance (NAFA) has recently updated and released Alfalfa: High Quality Hay for Horses, serving as a quick and handy guide to everything horse enthusiasts should know about feeding alfalfa to horses.

Ernest Bailey, PhD, professor, and Ted Kalbfleisch, PhD, associate professor, both in the Department of Veterinary Science at the Gluck Equine Research Center, and Jessica Peterson, PHD, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, provided this information. Source: January 2020 Equine Disease Quarterly.

Martin Nielsen, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVM, Schlaikjer professor of Equine Infectious Disease at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center, just wrapped up a new lesson-style video series on equine parasitology. The series was released with weekly episodes during the global COVID pandemic lock-down.

Three graduate students in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment have received a predoctoral fellowship from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In the midst of a bountiful first cutting of hay, a University of Kentucky equine specialist reminds horse owners to start thinking about how much hay they need in the future.