by Anastasia Miklojcik

New Brunswick, NJ — Horses 2007, the educational conference being organized and hosted by Rutgers Equine Science Center on Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1, will feature an impressive roster of leading experts as speakers.

The conference will be held at the Cook Campus Center, located off Route 1 in New Brunswick, N.J. Complete information and directions are on the Equine Science Center website at www.esc.rutgers.edu.

Dr. Patty Hogan, a surgeon with the New Jersey Equine Clinic in Clarksburg, N.J., and Dr. Sue McDonnell, a renowned equine behaviorist at the University of Pennsylvania, will be the keynote speakers at Horses 2007.

Dr. Hogan first came to the nation’s attention when a horse she saved – Smarty Jones – went on to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, along with several other major races. Her story of how Smarty Jones recovered is just part of her spell-binding talk, “It’s All About the Love of Horses: Saving Smarty Jones and Other Stories That Inspire.” This acclaimed equine surgeon is also a horsewoman whose hard work and dedication throughout her education and career will enthrall anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming an equine professional.

Dr. McDonnell maintains a herd of ponies specifically for the study of their physiology and behavior under semi-natural conditions. She has lectured on stallion, mare and foal behavior, raising an orphan foal, foal bonding, stress-free weaning, causes of and cures for vices, bad habits and related topics and has written books on equine behavior for both the layperson and equine professionals. Her topics will be “Why Does My Horse Do That: Elements of Basic Horse Behavior” and “Current Research on Horse Behavior.”

Additional speakers at Horses 2007 include the following:

• Dr. Rick Doran is a New Jersey native who in 1987 became staff surgeon at Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center in Ringoes, N.J. He is a former Quarter Horse show competitor, and enthusiastically supports his wife’s and daughter’s “horse habit.” He will be talking about soft tissue injuries during a panel discussion focused on the “Diagnosis, Treatment and Rehabilitation of Equine Injuries.”
• Dr. Brendan Furlong was born and educated in Ireland and is the long-time veterinarian to the United States Equestrian Team. He owns and operates the B.W. Furlong & Associates Equine Veterinarians in Oldwick, N.J., and Wellington and Ocala, Fla. He also will be participating in the equine injury panel and will specifically address the latest diagnostic tools that are available.
• Dr. Scott Palmer is hospital director and staff surgeon with the New Jersey Equine Clinic in Clarksburg, N.J. He has been very active in veterinary organizations and activities statewide, nationally and internationally and is past-president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. He will moderate the panel and will also talk about orthopedic injuries.
• Dr. Dan Keenan of Keenan McAlister Equine will give an illustrated talk on “Lameness: Giving Your Horse a Leg to Stand On.” Dr. Keenan runs an ambulatory practice that serves a wide area of central and south Jersey. He has been active in the New Jersey Horse Council, distributes an information-packed newsletter and is a popular speaker.
• Dr. Betsy Greene is the Extension equine specialist with the University of Vermont and a frequent guest lecturer who focuses on horse management, safety and production. She is a contributor to equine publications and she collaborated on a video, “Ground Handling Horses Safely.” At Horses 2007, she will help prospective horse owners understand the true costs of ownership, including comparisons of keeping a horse on your own property versus boarding your horse. Her topic: “The Cost of Owning a ‘Free’ Horse.”
• Dr. Amy Burk, Extension horse specialist with the University of Maryland, is well-grounded in equine nutrition and will talk about what is known scientifically about the powders and liquids we ply our horses with in a provocative talk entitled, “Supplements: Fairy Dust and Hocus-Pocus?” Her lively lecture style is a result of her work with undergraduates at Maryland and her educational leadership of the state’s 4-H horse program.
• Dr. David Marshall came to the University of Delaware via Pennsylvania, where he received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State and his veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He pursues his love of teaching as an assistant professor in the university’s Department of Animal Science and practices his medical skills as equine Extension veterinarian with the Delaware Cooperative Extension Service. He will be talking about “Tips for Happy, Healthy Horses.”
• Two scientists who recently earned their Ph.D. degrees and joined the corporate world are Dr. Mary Beth Gordon and Dr. Bridgett McIntosh Byrd. Dr. Gordon received her doctorate from Rutgers in 2005, having done ground-breaking work on the effects of exercise on the regulation of appetite in horses and why an equine athlete is often described as “off his feed.” Dr. Byrd, who received her doctorate this year from Virginia Tech, studies carbohydrate profiles in feeds and forages and the avoidance of laminitis. Both she and Dr. Gordon are avid riders and horse show competitors.
• When it comes to rotational grazing and pasture management, one of the region’s go-to experts is Dan Ludwig, who is the grazing and grassland specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in southeastern Pennsylvania. Dan grew up on a farm that raised beef cattle, hogs, sheep and laying hens. He turned to horses at Penn State and later when he served with Maryland Cooperative Extension.

Several of the featured speakers at Horses 2007 are prominent members of the Rutgers faculty and are affiliated with the Equine Science Center. They include Dr. Karyn Malinowski, director of the Equine Science Center; Dr. Ken McKeever, associate professor with the Department of Animal Sciences and associate director of research for the Equine Science Center; Dr. Sarah Ralston, associate professor with the Department of Animal Sciences and associate director of teaching with the Equine Science Center; and Dr. Carey Williams, the equine Extension specialist and associate director of outreach with the Equine Science Center.

Other Rutgers experts are Bill Bamka, Burlington County agricultural agent; Dr. Paul Gottlieb, associate professor with the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics; Dan Kluchinski, assistant director of Rutgers Cooperative Extension; Dr. Uta Krogmann, Extension specialist in solid waste management; Bob Mickel, Hunterdon County agricultural agent; Dr. Chris Obropta, Extension specialist in water resources; Dr. Bill Sciarappa, Monmouth County agricultural agent; and Dr. Mike Westendorf, associate Extension specialist in animal sciences.

The program at Horses 2007 is designed to appeal to all types of horse enthusiasts and professionals, regardless of their level of expertise or the particular breed of horse or equine pursuit they enjoy. The Saturday presentations will tend to focus on newcomers to horsemanship or ownership, but also will interest instructors, parents or anyone looking for basic science and information. On Sunday, the more experienced and/or professional horse community, including equine veterinarians, will benefit from the topics. Both days are open to all, and continuing education credits can be earned by veterinarians and vet technicians on both days.

In addition to the main conference, a two-day Farm and Land Management Short Course will be conducted for farm owners and managers that will address current regulatory issues, water quality, pasture and nutrient waste management, weed identification and control, forage production and similar topics. Enrollment in the short course is limited to 80 persons, so early sign-up is recommended.

Profiles of all the speakers and a complete schedule of presentations and events appear in a special area of the Equine Science Center’s website at www.esc.rutgers.edu/Horses2007. Registration forms are available on the website or can be obtained by calling (732) 932-9419 or e-mailing esc@aesop.rutgers.edu.