University of Kentucky Ag Equine Programs March 2019 Wildcat Canter

M ARC H 2019

C ON TE N TS

University of Kentucky student selected for U.S. Five-Gaited Saddle Seat Team PAGE 6 University of Kentucky Student, Makayla James Wins a Spot on U.S. Five-Gaited Saddle Seat Team. US Equestrian is proud to announce the selection of the 2019 U.S. Saddle Seat Young Riders Stripes and Stars Teams.

Steady Hands and A Strong Passion: Equine Student is Headed for UK Dental School PAGE 10

Undergradaute senior, Emily Sklar’s passion for horses and helping others has led her to pursuing dental school.

UK’s Bob Coleman Wins American Society of Animal Science Distinguished Teacher Award PAGE 12 Bob Coleman, associate professor of equine extension and long time faculty member within the Equine Science and Management undergraduate degree program, was recently announced as winner of the American Society of Animal Science Distinguished Teacher award.

Other Features UK Rodeo Teams up On Cowboy Up For a Cure- PAGE 8 Eastern Tent Caterpillar Egg Hatch Now Underway in Cental Kentucky - PAGE 9 Lasix- The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly- PAGE 14

U PC O M IN G E V ENTS AND I MPORTAN T DEADLINES • • • • • • • •

March 29, Last day to wthdraw from a course April 3, Equine Assisted Therapy Day April 15 &17, Wildcat Wrangler Training April 18, Spring Internship Showcase April 23, Equine Industry Safety Summit April 25-28, Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event April 27, Wildcat West Alumni Tailgate May 3, Graduation

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W E L COM E

Welcome All Good Things Must Come to an End They say change is hard and all good things must come to an end. As I welcome you to the March issue of the Wildcat Canter, memories of this wonderful program and this publication flood my mind. I started working for UK Ag Equine Programs in 2009 as an intern during my senior year at UK. I then came back in 2013 after starting my professional career, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Over the last six years, I have had the opportunity to work with the most talented faculty, staff and researchers in the industry. I have learned more than I ever imagined and made so many wonderful contacts along the waythat can never be replaced. Not to mention the amazing events I’ve been able to be a part of or attend.

As the end of the semester is quickly approaching, I challenge you to become more involved, make connections and take those big leaps of faith. I promise you won’t regret it. In fact, that is what unexpectedly led me to the next step in my professional career. I started volunteering and becoming more involved with committees and offering suggestions and ideas, and from there I was approached by my new executive director about joining their team in a brand new role.

Change and uncertainty is always scary, but you have to have faith and trust that you can take the new challenge in front of you by the reins and run with it. I will miss my ‘home’ at UK and everyone in this college, but my experiences here have prepared me to enter this new phase of life. I will always Bleed Blue and the horse will always be at the heart of everything I do.

Alexandra Harper, Former Operations and Communications Coordinator

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M A STHE A D

Wildcat Canter Editorial Staff

Samantha Geller, contributing writer, layout Misty Medeiros, contributing writer Holly Wiemers, MA, APR, senior editor, contributing writer

Wildcat Canter Editorial Board

Camie Heleski, PhD, lecturer Danielle Jostes, MA, equine philanthropy director Mick Peterson, PhD, equine programs director Savannah Robin, MS, internship coordinator Kristine Urschel, PhD, director of undergraduate studies Kristen Wilson, MS, academic program coordinator

Ag Equine Programs

College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

N212 Ag Sciences Building North Lexington, KY 40546-0091 Office: (859) 257-2226 equine@uky.edu www.uky.edu/equine

Connect with us on Social Media

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photo by Jimmy Henning

C LUBS AN D T EAM S D IR E CTORY U K EVENT ING

Advisor: Dr. Jill Stowe, jill.stowe@uky.edu President: Macy Clark, macyclark23@gmail.com Facebook: UK Dressage and Eventing

E Q UE ST RIA N TEAM

R . E. A. D . CL UB

Advisor: Dr. Kristine Urschel, klur222@uky.edu President: Katie Simmons, kesi226@g.uky.edu Facebook: READ Club

R O D EO TEAM

Advisor: Dr. Bob Coleman, rcoleman@uky.edu

H UNT SEAT TEAM

President: Mackenzie Mentzer, uk.equestrianteam@gmail.com Facebook: UKY Equestrian Team

W ES TERN TEAM

President: Jamie Henley, ukwesternequestrian@gmail.com Facebook: UKY Western IHSA Team

HO R S E RA C ING CLUB

Advisor: Monty Ott, monty.ott@uky.edu President: Channing McWilliams, ukrodeoteam@gmail.com Facebook: UKY Rodeo Team

SAD D L E SEAT TEAM

Advisor: Dr. Mary Rossano, mary.rossano@uky.edu President: Audrey Schneider, uksaddleseatteam@gmail.com Facebook: UKY Saddleseat Team

Congratulations to the Hunt Seat Team on placing Reserve Champion in Zone 6 Region 3 at Lakeside Arena!

Advisor: Dr. Laurie Lawrence, llawrenc@uky.edu President: Julie Witt, ukhorseracingclub@gmail.com Facebook: UKY Horse Racing Club

P O LO T E A M

Advisor: Dr. Roger Brown, rogerbrown@uky.edu Dr. Jamie MacLeod, jnmacleod@uky.edu President: Ben Lynch, benjamin.lynch@uky.edu Facebook: U of Kentucky Polo

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Click here to access contact information for these clubs.

FEAT U R E STORY

UK Equine Freshman Makayla James Wins a Spot on U.S. Five-Gaited Saddle Seat Team Source: US Equestrian Communications Department

US Equestrian is proud to announce the selection of the 2019 U.S. Saddle Seat Young Riders Stripes and Stars Teams. The Stripes Team will compete at the 2019 U.S. Saddle Seat Invitational Test Event from July 4-5, in New Orleans, against teams from South Africa. The Stars Team will compete at the 2019 U.S. Saddle Seat Invitational Test Event from Oct. 31 – Nov. 2, in Las Vegas, against Canada.

Bluegrass Equine Digest Check out the February issue of the Bluegrass Equine Digest, a free, monthly electronic newsletter dedicated to providing up-to-date information on equine research from the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment in collaboration with TheHorse.com and sponsored by Zoetis.

Click here to see this February’s stories.

• • • •

Preventing Water Pollution on Horse Farms Tall Fescue Varieties Inaugural Horse Industry Safety Summit Undergrad Research

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FEAT URE STORY

Spring Internship Encounter Recap

By Misty Medeiros On March 1, UK Ag Equine Programs hosted its second Equine Internship Encounter.

This event, organized by intern Misty Medeiros, was held at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital.

The event was created to enable students to meet local businesses and create connections, leading to possible intern and job opportunities.

Twenty Equine Science and Management students attended this semester’s event.

Starlee Smith, Rood & Riddle, gave a tour of the facility, accompanied by veterinary technician Jessica Bronicki. They shared internship and job positions available at the hospital. Lori Tobin and Susan Thomas, from Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center, as well as Hallie Hardy from the Godolphin Flying Start program also spoke to participants.

Cutline: Participating students in the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital conference room with hosts from Rood & Riddle, Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center and Godolphin Flying Start.

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F EAT U R E S TORY

UK Rodeo Teams Up On Cowboy Up For a Cure

This past year, the UK Rodeo Team has made many great improvements, aiding in its expansion. The team is still hard at work getting its name out in the intercollegiate rodeo scene and its competing members are helping to promote the team.

As the semester continues and rodeos are coming up, the team is getting closer to its biggest charity event it helps put on. Cowboy Up For A Cure is holding its six annual rodeo April 6 at Alltech Arena, with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the rodeo kicking off at 7 p.m. Cowboy Up For A Cure is a non-profit organization that provides funding to benefit children with pediatric cancer.

Since the founding of the rodeo, UK’s Rodeo Team, along with Farm House Fraternity and Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, has helped with this cause. It has been participating organizations’ philanthropy event for six years running, and they provide the manpower to hold a successful event. They also are the driving force behind campus awareness of pediatric cancer, UK’s Pediatric Cancer Unit and the rodeo. While Farm House and Alpha Gamma Delta help with the frontline of running the rodeo, the Rodeo Team does a lot with the background work, including checking people in and handling the competitors’ side of the event. It also has members that compete in the rodeo.

So, from our family to yours, we hope you can make it out to the Kentucky Horse Park Alltech Arena, not only cheer us on, but the many other competitors too, all while helping us raise money for a worthwhile cause.

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FEAT URE STORY

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Egg Hatch Now Underway for Central Kentucky

By Holly Wiemers

Eastern tent caterpillars have begun to hatch, with the first instances being seen in Lexington on March 24, according to Daniel Potter, professor of entomology, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

According to Potter, after spending about nine months as eggs in masses on twigs of wild cherry and related trees, the first tiny eastern tent caterpillars of the season are now leaving their eggs.

The larvae are among the first insects to become active in the spring and are wellequipped to cope with Kentucky’s erratic temperature swings.

According to UK’s entomology researchers, egg hatch occurs over several weeks in early spring. This increases the chance for survival in case of late freezes. The caterpillars grow and develop when the temperature is above 37 degrees F. Their preferred food plants are wild cherry, apple and crabapple, but they may be found on hawthorn, maple, cherry, peach, pear and plum as well.

When mature, the 2- to 2.5-inch long hairy caterpillars have a habit of wandering from their host trees to seek protected areas to spin their cocoons, or to seek additional food if their natal tree becomes defoliated. At such times, they may crawl along fence lines and into pastures.

Consumption of large numbers of caterpillars by pregnant mares caused staggering foal losses in the Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome outbreak of 1999-2001. MRLS can cause early- and late-term foal losses or weak foals. UK researchers conducted studies that revealed horses will inadvertently eat the caterpillars, and the caterpillar hairs embed into the lining of the horse’s alimentary tract. Once that protective barrier is breached, normal alimentary tract bacteria may gain access to and reproduce in sites with reduced immunity, such as the fetus and placenta.

If practical, farm managers should move pregnant mares from areas where wild cherry trees are abundant to minimize the chance of caterpillar exposure.

The threat is greatest when the mature caterpillars leave trees and wander to find places to pupate and transform to the moth stage.

Eastern tent caterpillars are also a nuisance to people living near heavily infested trees. The nests and defoliation are unsightly, and the caterpillars may wander hundreds of yards in search of protected sites to spin cocoons and pupate.

“Managing ETC in small ornamental trees, such as flowering crabapples, is easy. Just wear a pair of grocery store plastic bags like mittens, climb a stepladder, pull out the tents, turn the bags inside out to ‘bag’ the caterpillars and stomp them,” Potter said. “Pruning out nests in ornamental trees sounds great, but in reality, by the time they are noticed, they’re often in branch crotches where pruning will compromise the symmetry of the tree.

“Spraying the flowering fruit and decorative trees preferred by the caterpillars can be a bee hazard – and with some products, a label violation – because the trees are in bloom with bees visiting them at the same time eastern tent caterpillars are active,” he said.

“Except for bacillus thuringiensis, which is not all that effective once the ETC are about half-grown, the only spray product I know of that controls ETC and is bee-compatible is Acelepryn (chlorantraniliprole).That is available in a formulation used mainly by professional grounds managers and arborists, but has not yet found its way into homeowner spray products.”

According to Potter, caterpillar management around horse farm paddocks comes down to keeping pregnant mares away from infested trees and either removing or not planting preferred host trees near paddocks. In addition to those preventive measures, controlling the caterpillars with insecticides may be warranted in some settings. That may require treating tall trees that are difficult to spray.

For the latter scenario, professional arborists treat via trunk injection. Products labeled for eastern tent caterpillar control include Tree-äge (emamectin benzoate), Inject-A-Cide B (Bidrin), Abacide 2 (abamectin) and Lepitect (acephate). End users should read and follow all label instructions. All four of those injectable products are labeled for use on horse farms.

For more information about how to assess trees for egg masses, the UK Entomology publication, Checking Eastern Tent Caterpillar Egg Masses, is available at https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef449.

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S T U DE N T F E ATURE

Steady Hands and A Strong Passion: Equine Student is Headed for UK Dental School

By Samantha Geller

As a life-long equestrian, Emily Sklar, a senior majoring in Equine Science and Management, learned from an early age that her hands were a powerful tool. If used correctly, they could guide a 1,200-pound animal to execute an artistic performance consisting of precise and complex movements.

This realization taught her to be delicate with her signals, but steady with her grip, confident in her leadership, but cooperative with the horse’s reactions.

This dynamic interplay fascinated Sklar and led her to become heavily involved with dressage growing up. Her passion for helping others now has her headed to dental school.

Sklar, a Georgia native, first came to the University of Kentucky for the opportunity to pursue her passion for horses. Once in Lexington, she became immersed in the campus community in any way she could. She quickly learned she had a passion for helping others through her involvement with Kappa Delta sorority, volunteering at Central Kentucky Riding for Hope and tutoring her peers in organic chemistry.

“I initially enrolled in UK’s Equine Science and Management program to further develop my equestrian skills. However, I soon discovered that, although I thoroughly enjoy horseback riding, I desired a career that will allow me to be directly involved in improving the health of others.”

Sklar first got the idea to pursue dentistry from her aunt. Having braces made her aware of the importance of dental hygiene and got her interested in the field.

“I discovered that dentistry will allow me to use the precision and artistry I learned as an equestrian to promote health,” the Sklar said.

Then, she began shadowing dentists at a local practice and became fascinated by the various procedures they performed in caring for patients.

Sklar said she was drawn to the precision of their hand skills and saw similarities to the experiences she had in equine science.

She was captivated by the artistry involved in procedures, such as using composite to restore a decayed tooth.

“I was amazed at how the dentist took a shapeless artificial material and sculpted intricate ridges and contours; making it into a functional tooth. It was then that I saw the potential of utilizing my artistic abilities in dentistry. I was so excited that I declared myself a pre-dental student,” Sklar said.

According to Sklar, courses like equine anatomy and physiology helped her prepare for the rigor of dental classes and taught her concepts that will be covered in her education. Her equine courses taught her how to study hard, learn concepts and apply them to the bigger picture. Whether her patient has four legs and a furry muzzle, or is a child sitting in the practice, similar concepts apply.

After deciding she would like to pursue a career as a dentist, Sklar dove into student organizations with a focus in the field. She went on a service trip to Ecuador with Shoulder-to-Shoulder to provide dental care, served as an executive board member for the UK Pre-Dental Society and is currently a UK College of Dentistry Ambassador.

When recalling her trip to Santo Domingo, Ecuador, with Shoulder-to-Shoulder, Sklar emphasized her passion for helping others while getting a chance to gain experience in dentistry. During that trip, she was responsible for applying fluoride to children’s teeth and distributing oral care materials.

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“To my surprise, my station was extremely popular among the patients. Children waited patiently for their turn to see me. I carefully coated their teeth with fluoride and then demonstrated proper brushing techniques with my puppet assistant, Salvador the Snake,” Sklar said. “Afterwards, the children ran away excited to show their parents their prizes – a toothbrush and toothpaste. It felt good to share knowledge and help others improve their health.”

Sklar said she was grateful for the opportunity to make an impact on the lives of those within the communities she served and looks forward to the day she can use her skills to help her patients achieve and maintain oral health.

Although her journey to dentistry might be unconventional, Sklar’s desire to become a dentist is unwavering. Dentistry combines the precise artistry she enjoy from riding with her desire to positively impact people’s health. In the fall, she will begin her journey of becoming a dentist within UK’s College of Dentistry.

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F EAT U R E STORY

UK’s Bob Coleman Wins American Society of Animal Science Distinguished Teacher Award Bob Coleman, associate professor of equine extension and long time faculty member within the Equine Science and Management undergraduate degree program, was recently announced as winner of the American Society of Animal Science Distinguished Teacher award.

The award, which will be formally given at the association’s July meeting in Austin, recognizes distinguished teachers of undergraduate and/or graduate courses in animal science. Criteria to be considered for the award include: the ability to motivate and stimulate students; the impression made on students by the mastery of the subject, techniques, vision and attitudes of the nominee; evidence of continual interest in the improvement of teaching; the content and nature of the courses taught; diversification of activities; advisor for student clubs; service on departmental, college and university committees; and research and extension activities.

Kristine Urschel, colleague within the equine undergraduate program as well as Department of Animal and Food Sciences, nominated him for the award.

In her nomination, she wrote: Dr. Robert Coleman is one of the premier teachers at UK. He has been recognized with the Gamma Sigma Delta Master Teacher Award and the Joe T. Davis Outstanding Advisor Award at UK. In his tenure at UK, Dr. Coleman has directly impacted the lives of more than 2,000 undergraduate students.

Coleman received his BSc and MS degrees from the University of Manitoba and his PhD from the University of Alberta.

His professional career did not start in the campus classroom; instead, he entered the feed industry and then took a position with the Horse Industry Branch of Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development. After 18 years in that position, UK was able to lure him to a teaching and extension position in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences.

A hallmark of Dr. Coleman’s teaching success has been his ability to illustrate facts and concepts in equine science with real-life experiences gained during his time in equine extension. His students appreciate his knowledge and his common sense approach to the material he presents. Dr. Coleman’s expertise as a teacher is recognized beyond the UK campus. He was sought out to teach an applied horse management course to students in the University of Louisville’s Equine Business program and also traveled to the University of Dijon in France to teach students in their Equine Science and Business program. Dr. Coleman has given numerous invited presentations related to teaching and advising at professional meetings.

Dr. Coleman spent the Fall 2016 semester on sabbatical at Colorado State University, where he contributed guest lectures to a variety of undergraduate courses, assisted with hand-on student labs out at the horse unit, and worked with several graduate students on their research projects.

Dr. Coleman has developed and taught six different courses in Animal Science and Equine Science and Management (ESMA), including nearly every core equine class in the ESMA program.

After arriving at UK in 1998, Dr. Coleman’s career in the classroom at UK began almost immediately with the instruction of Horse Management (ASC 320) and Horse Science (ASC 410G). For both, he was charged teaching both on-campus and distance learning/online versions of the class. Both courses included hands-on labs, which are more difficult to replicate in a distance-learning format.

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Dr. Coleman accepted the challenge and quickly put his practical hands-on knowledge of horse management to use, recording hours of video demonstrations. He continued to be the primary instructor for both courses for about 10 years, when additional teaching faculty was hired.

With the formation of the ESMA program, he initially taught both the freshman “Introduction to the Horse & the Horse Industry” and senior-level “Capstone in Equine Science and Management.” He continues to teach the capstone class each semester, encouraging students to apply what they have learned throughout their degree to address current issues facing the equine industry.

Recently, he has developed two new courses, “Tools and Tack in the Equine Industry” and “Equine Facility Design and Management.” Tools and Tack is aimed at incoming students with a narrow or limited exposure to the horse industry.

Through demonstrations, hands-on activities and guest lecturers, this class gives students a broader appreciation for the diversity of the horse industry. Facility Design targets junior and senior level students and integrates the physical design needs of an equine facility with a business planning experience, including site planning, dealing with local ordinances, insurance, human resources and enterprise budgeting.

Dr. Coleman served as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the ESMA program from its inception until 2017.

He is always striving to ensure that the ESMA curriculum is meeting the needs of both the students and the industry stakeholders.

Dr. Coleman has a tremendous advising load… about 55 students a semester, in both the Animal Science and ESMA degree programs. He meets with each student individually at least one time per semester, and more frequently if problems arise. He attends many regional and national equine events where he meets prospective students and encourages them to consider UK. Dozens of potential equine students and their families visit UK each year and he meets with as many as he can.

Dr. Coleman also advises the UK Equestrian Team. Team members practice at local private stables and Dr. Coleman helps students select the coaches they will use, secure horse donations and work through any issues related to horse care. The teams compete at several shows each semester and Dr. Coleman does his best to attend the shows and support the students in their competitions.

Dr. Robert Coleman is an outstanding teacher who has worked tirelessly to improve the educational experience of his students.

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S T U DE N T F E ATURE

From our students...some of the pieces written in a provocative new course An important part of the mission of our program includes undergraduate education, specifically with our Equine Science and Management undergraduate degree program. A new class that piloted this spring – taught by Camie Heleski, a faculty member and lecturer within the program – is one designed to present provocative, often controversial issues that are current to the equine industry.

In EQM 300, “Horse Whispering,” how to communicate with humans in the equine industry, students are introduced to topics, heard from speakers, researched information and communicated about industry issues in written and oral formats. The course is designed to expose students to hot button issues in the industry and encourage them to research and formulate well-communicated opinions about those issues. One avenue made available to this course is publishing some of those stories here.

Lasix – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

By Hannah Smither, student in EQM 300 during Spring 2019

Out of all the race day medications present, Lasix is by far the most prevalent. According to Daniel Ross from The Guardian, almost 90 percent of American racehorses are given Lasix before competing. The drug is a hot topic amongst individuals in the Thoroughbred industry and has also found itself being evaluated by equestrians outside of the racing world. Lasix has sparked many debates about its usage and effects on the horses who receive it. International differences in race day medication laws have also fueled the fire in the debate on Lasix. These debates all revolve around one question that burns in the minds of everyone involved - is Lasix needed or not?

For those unfamiliar with the racing industry, Lasix (or furosemide) is an anti-bleeding medication commonly given to racehorses. The drug is designed to aid in the control of exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage, or EIPH. EIPH occurs when the pulmonary pressure in a horse’s lungs increases to a degree that causes some of the small capillaries near the bottom of the lungs to rupture. This is when the bleeding effect comes into play. The bleeding severity in horses is rated on a scale of zero to four. At a zero, an endoscopic examination of the horse’s lungs will show no visible traces of blood. The visible amounts of blood continue to increase until level four is reached. At level four, epistaxis (nose bleeding) occurs. Blood then becomes visible in either or both nostrils.

According to professor of epidemiology and biosecurity at Colorado State University, Paul Morley, between 0.1 and 0.2 percent of all starters suffer epistaxis. Morley also disagrees with the suggestions that EIPH is painful for the horse.

“There are not pain receptors of the type we’re talking about in the deep portions of the lung where the bleeding occurs,” Morley said. So, if only 0.1-0.2 percent of horses are extreme bleeders, why is Lasix so common?

One answer to that question is that Lasix is thought to be a performance-enhancing drug. During the first hour after Lasix has been administered, a horse can pass between 10 to 15 liters of urine. Horses given Lasix are typically not allowed to drink water four hours before their race. The resulting water loss can make the horse 10 to 15 pounds lighter.

A study performed in Australia in 2005 found that horses with more severe forms of EIPH trailed the winner by an average of 14 feet (4.36 meters). Kenneth Hinchcliff, the study’s lead author and a professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Ohio State University, said that the disorder is clearly an important cause of poor performance in race horses. Horses that suffer from the severe forms of this disorder that are allowed to race on Lasix perform much better with administration of the drug than without it.

Along with lightening the load on horses and keeping the heavy bleeders from going through epistaxis, Lasix has also been thought to mask the detection of other banned race day medications.

Richard Sams, director of HFL Sport Science, said, “In 1983, the predecessor to [the Association of Racecourse Commissioners International] adopted a resolution that banned the use of furosemide in all of racing. The reason being that a lot of substances were detected with great difficulty and in some cases weren’t detected at all during that period of intense diuresis (heavy urination) that followed administration of furosemide.”

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Despite some nasty claims about the drug, many owners and trainers see Lasix as a harmless tool to help their horses race to their fullest potential.

The Guardian said that in opposition to the ban, previously mentioned above by Sams, trainers prompted a study that found 250 mg of Lasix could be safely administered four hours before a race without affecting the detection of a list of drugs that were not permitted on race day. This set of guidelines was adopted by racing jurisdictions throughout the country. Still, the United States remains one of the only countries in the world where Lasix is still permitted to be used on the day of the race.

All of Europe, Australia and multiple other countries have banned the use of Lasix on race day. The drug is, however, still legal to use during training.

British trainer, Alan King, told The Guardian, “I’ve never had the need to use it [Lasix] Though I don’t think [bleeding] is as much of an issue here in this country.”

King’s statement leads, again, to another question - is Lasix needed more in the U.S. than elsewhere? European climate, training facilities and racing style differ greatly than in the U.S. In the U.S., racehorses are trained in short timeframes in the mornings. They are also kept within the tighter confines of the racetrack. In Europe, horses are exercised for longer and in quieter surroundings more conducive to keeping horses that bleed settled and calm.

Climate is also a big difference between the two. Europe generally has a steady, colder climate, while the U.S. has a wide range of temperatures throughout its lands.

Trainer, Rick Violette, said, “To not have Lasix available for horses competing in the sweltering heat and humidity of nonwinter Florida racing is a recipe for disaster.”

Despite convincing arguments from both sides of the fence, I find myself landing in the middle of this controversial topic. I believe that Lasix should only be permitted to be used on race day for horses who are level four bleeders. To accomplish this, every 2-year-old would need to be tested to see where exactly he or she falls on the scale. If 90 percent of American racehorses are on Lasix, but only 0.1-0.2 percent of horses are heavy bleeders, that’s where the problem comes in. Throwing every 2-yearold on the drug without even knowing if they need it or not is creating the abuse of Lasix we see today. In conclusion, if Lasix can be properly managed and regulated, I see no problem in giving it to the horses who really need it.

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You're invited to attend an

Internship Showcase HONORING the SPRING 2019 Equine Science and Management INTerns

Thursday, April 18, 2019 5:45-6 p.m. - Check In 6-7:15 p.m. - Reception & Showcase 7:15 p.m. - Program Agricultural Science North Seay Auditorium RSVP- savannah.robin@uky.edu (859) 257-2226

Call to the Post Derby Bash 2019

Saturday, April 27

Saturday, April 27 The Livery

238 East Main Street, Lexington, KY 40507

Happy Hour - 6pm

Join us for hors d’ouevres and local spirits tastings.

Dinner & Drinks - 7pm

Enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Bayou Bluegrass Catering and complimentary drinks.

Live Music - 8pm

Superfecta will have you dancing throughout the night!

Tastings - Silent Auction - Bourbon Pull Dress in your Derby Best!

*Dress - Derby Clubhouse A prize will be awarded to the best ladies derby hat and gentlemens attire.

-All proceeds support CAFE Scholarships-

SAVE THE DATE

Horse Industry Safety Summit April 23, 2019 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

UK’s Spindletop Hall, Lexington, KY This conference will bring together scientific findings and practical experience, from the world’s top horsemen and women, on issues regarding safety around horses.

NORTH

AMERICAN

RACING

ACADEMY

Formore moreinformation information and to register For and to register.

Ag Equine Programs

College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

N212 Ag Sciences Building North Lexington, KY 40546-0091 Office: (859) 257-2226 equine@uky.edu www.uky.edu/equine