The broodmare is the cornerstone of the breeding industry, and immense effort, countless hours and considerable finances go into the delivery of a healthy foal. While achieving a viable pregnancy is a hurdle in itself, maintaining that pregnancy to term is the primary concern of practitioners, breeders and managers alike.

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 has launched a survey to better understand the special needs of this age group.

A partnership of tracks and industry organizations that supports the surface safety research efforts at the University of Kentucky has pledged resources to bolster this unprecedented research initiative.

If ever there was a time to be more conscientious of how we spend money, 2020 is probably it. Feeding horses is often one of our largest expenses, particularly in winter when pasture isn’t available. This month, we’ll look at a few cost saving moves you can make right now to extend your resources and reduce the cost of feeding horses.

The virtual event will continue the “life journey” theme initiated last year and will emphasize weanling to yearling horses, presenting both completed and work-in-progress projects relevant to this age group.

As we have discussed in two previous issues (PCR – what’s behind this commonly used acronym? and Wanted Dead or Alive – Does PCR supersede traditional techniques?) PCR, or the polymerase chain reaction, is an incredibly sensitive technique to detect DNA and is used extensively in diagnostic testing.

Izabela de Assis Rocha, DVM and graduate student at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center, is currently competing in UK’s virtual Three Minute Thesis competition with a presentation entitled “A neurologic horse and me.”

University of Kentucky’s Graduate Student Congress awarded one of its three annual Research Awards to Erica Macon, MS, PAS, PhD candidate in the lab of Amanda Adams, PhD, MARSTM Equestrian Fellow and associate professor at the Gluck Equine Research Center.

Dr. Amanda Adams of the University of Kentucky, in Lexington, describes her senior horse research, which focuses on EMS, PPID, and immune system health.

Alfalfa has been included in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest expansion of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Recently, USDA announced an additional $14 billion for farmers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19.

The first FY 2021 Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) application cut-off period for Kentucky will be Nov. 20. All eligible applications received by this date will be evaluated and considered for FY 2021 funding. Applications received after that date will be held for the next funding opportunity.

The University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has released a new accession form. The update has the most up-to-date test offerings and improved layout for ease of reading.

When University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment graduate student Staci McGill set out to learn more about the air quality of indoor horse arenas almost three years ago, she was surprised to discover there wasn’t any existing research available. So she forged the way with first-of-its-kind research, melding her passion for riding with her academic research interests.