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• British Equine Fertility Unit to Close
• Iowa Horse Industry Impacts State Economy
• Research on Pneumonia Seeks to Save Foals' Lives
• EBMS and University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business Team up to Create Equine Business Management Strategies Program/September 29 – October 3, 2007

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British Equine Fertility Unit to Close 

by: Multiple Authors, The Horse.com May 16, 2007, Article #9601

The University of Cambridge's Equine Fertility Unit (EFU), which among other projects over the years produced Europe's first test tube foal, will close in September because of lack of funding, said facility head Twink Allen, BVSc, PhD, ScD, DESM, MRCVS.

The EFU was established 37 years ago and was funded by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA), using money from the Horse Race Betting Levy Board. The Fertility Unit had requested £450,000 ($889,000) per year for the next 10 years. They previously had received £300,000 per year.

“The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association has pulled the plug on us, and that is very sad and very stupid,” Allen stated.

According to Allen, the group at EFU was progressing on three major studies at the time of the announcement that their funding had been removed. These studies included investigation of the maternal recognition of pregnancy signal, work on equine embryonic stem cells for tendon repair, and a study on the effects of vasodilatory agents on uterine and placental blood flow.

Allen said the work on biological pregnancy signals in the horse was progressing.

“We are getting some very good results now on the maternal recognition of pregnancy signal—that is, when does a mare know she is pregnant and how does she know she is pregnant during the very early stages?” Allen said. “Somehow the little conceptus has to send a signal to the mother and tell her, biologically, that she is pregnant and stop her cycling and stay in the pregnancy mode.

“I think we are right on track and just about to discover this signal in the horse,” he added. “The horse and the camel are the only species in which we do not know the nature of that very important signal.

“Remember, we have shown that about 8% of Thoroughbred pregnancies are lost during the first 42 days of gestation, and a significant portion of that 8% are bound to be because the mother failed to recognize the signal from the embryo, or the embryo failed to send the signal, and she simply came back to estrus,” Allen said.

Allen noted that although some Equine Fertility Unit studies will be transferred to other institutions, the pregnancy signal research is not expected to be picked up by another group, and that mystery will remain unresolved.

According to Allen, the “real tragedy” of the closure will be the loss of the Equine Fertility Unit facility, situated in Newmarket.

“It is the best facility in the world, and I know I am biased, but I have seen all the facilities, and the reason they are the best is that we have purpose-designed laboratories and horse handling facilities on the doorstep of Newmarket,” Allen said. “Therefore, we have collaboration with two big equine practices, access to all the Newmarket stud farms and trainer's yards, Cambridge only 12 miles away, and the Animal Health Trust about three miles away—you cannot cobble that combination together anywhere else in the world.”

Because Allen was preparing to retire this year, the Unit had recruited a replacement—who Allen referred to as the “hottest property around,” but declined to name—to take over the position. The existing staff members will lose their jobs.

TBA chairman Philip Freedman told Britain's Racing Post there was support at £300,000 a year, and that the TBA would have been “irresponsible to recommend providing extra funding we would not have been willing to put in ourselves.”

The EFU has prompted dissatisfaction among TBA members in recent times as its work has diversified into artificial insemination and embryo transplantation in non-Thoroughbreds.

The Levy Board took over the provision of central funding for the EFU from the TBA in 2005 on an initial 2-year commitment with a view to extending that support for a further 2 years.

The TBA had been prepared to make £1.5 million available to the unit over the next 5 years in a package that included a partnership with the University of Nottingham's veterinary school. However, the EFU maintains that a sum of £450,000 per year is required, with a 10-year guarantee on the funding, for the deal to be viable.

Freedman explained that with the total cost to the industry rising to £6 million, the TBA was not prepared to give the unequivocal backing sought by the Levy Board, which was necessary for the funds to be released.

The TBA is the signatory on the lease for the EFU's 114-acre site on the Stetchworth Estate and also bears legal responsibility for the unit's 10 employees.

The EFU has at times relied on the financial support of wealthy owners and breeders, and there is speculation that a rescue package including private sponsors may yet be forthcoming to keep the EFU going.

—Erin Ryder and Mark Popham

Reprinted with permission of The Horse; visit www.TheHorse.com for more horse health news.

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Iowa Horse Industry Impacts State Economy 

by: Iowa State University Extension May 2007, Article #9599

Ask most people about animal agriculture in Iowa and they talk about pigs and cattle. But there are other animal species raised in the state that have a significant economic impact. One is the horse industry.

Peggy Miller-Auwerda, associate professor of animal science, heads the equine program at Iowa State University. “To understand the economic value of Iowa's equine industry, you must consider the many activities that include equine, the many breeds of equine that reside in the state, and the thousands of equine enthusiasts,” she said.

Here is a look at the facts and figures of Iowa's equine industry. There are 200,000 horses on nearly 36,000 Iowa farms, which ranks the state 17th in the nation. There are 47,000 horse owners in Iowa. Most own land (88.15%), and others board horses at nearby facilities. Horse people own $5.6 billion worth of Iowa land, fencing, and facilities.

Horses in Iowa consume 1.4 billion pounds of hay and 436 million pounds of grain each year. The total value of all equine-related assets in Iowa is $8.3 billion.

Obviously, Iowa horse farms are viable agricultural businesses. The equine industry is particularly important in rural areas because more than 70% of horse owners live in communities of 50,000 or less.

Expenditures to support the Iowa equine industry have an annual economic impact of $862.5 million. The Iowa equine industry directly provides 10,000 jobs, whereas 145,000 Iowans are involved in some aspect of the industry.

Iowa equine owners spend nearly $503 million caring for equids, generating jobs and revenue in agriculture and agriculture service sector businesses such as equipment purchases, feed and bedding, veterinary and farrier services, boarding, training and breeding fees, tack, grooming supplies, insurance, travel and lodging, capital improvements, advertising, and other miscellaneous equine-related expenses.

Horse racing is a significant part of Iowa's horse industry. Approximately 1,300 horses occupy the stable area at Prairie Meadows each year, bringing with them approximately 800 owners, trainers, grooms, exercise riders, feed and tack suppliers, veterinarians, and farriers.

Other activities geared toward professional riders include commercial breeders, trainers, law enforcement, and ranching. Yet more than half of the direct expenditures bolstering the Iowa economy come from “hobby” horses ridden for personal enjoyment.

Current trends, especially the growth in the leisure economy, suggest the potential for growth in Iowa's equine industry.

Iowa State University's Department of Animal Science recently conducted a visioning exercise to evaluate the current status of animal agriculture and opportunities for growth. Reports were written for six livestock categories—beef, dairy, equine, pork, poultry, and sheep/goats—and growth projections were made.

The report showed that by 2016, the number of horses in Iowa could increase 20% to a total of 240,000.

“The principal requirement for growth over the next 10 years is to develop the necessary infrastructure to build and implement a successful strategy that is actively promoted by the entire horse industry,” Miller-Auwerda said.

Miller-Auwerda added that the recent formation of the Iowa Equine Promotional Commission is a first step toward growing the industry. “Now Iowa State University, the Iowa Horse Council, and breed and performance associations must work together on several fronts,” she said.

One is to educate legislators and the general public on the equine industry. Another is to improve the quality and breeding of Iowa horses and ponies. Also needed is an efficient communication network between breeders, breeding organizations, riders, drivers, and the competition disciplines, and a central source of breeding information and advice.

Another step is to raise the equestrian skills, training and standards of those working with and riding horses to improve the industry's image and economic performance.

Miller-Auwerda said Iowa also needs a regional sales/show multi-purpose arena with sufficient stabling.

“Until there are adequate facilities here, people will continue to leave for other states to show and sell their horses and breeders will continue to struggle to build their businesses,” she said. “But despite the challenges, I think the outlook for Iowa's horse industry is bright.”

Reprinted with permission of The Horse; visit www.TheHorse.com for more horse health news.

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Research on Pneumonia Seeks to Save Foals' Lives 

by: Noah D. Cohen, VMD, MPH, PhD, DACVIM, and Dr. Stephen Hines, DVM, PhD, DACVP Press Release: On behalf of the Equine Research Coordination Group

Infectious respiratory diseases constitute one of the major causes of death in the horse industry. In addition to the sorrow caused, they also are major economic threats. One of the most common diseases in foals 6 months and younger is pneumonia. Though many different organisms can cause foal pneumonia, Rhodococcus equi is considered the most common culprit in a severe case. A nationwide survey indicated that respiratory disease is the third-leading cause of disease in foals and ranks second as a cause of death, following injury or wounds.

Because foals' active immune systems are still developing, they are susceptible to a number of infectious diseases. A Texas A&M study found that in foals, respiratory disease was the leading cause of disease and death. During a 2004−2005 study at a Kentucky breeding farm, 30% of foals developed Rhodococcus equi pneumonia.

No horse breed or geographical region in the United States is exempt from foal pneumonia, which can be caused by a bacterium that is often present in horse farm soil and grows in the manure of grazing animals. The R. equi bacterium is similar to the one that causes tuberculosis (TB). Like TB, foal pneumonia caused by R. equi develops slowly and by the time clinical symptoms are detectable, the disease is in a relatively advanced stage. Indeed, some foals do not show signs of respiratory distress until the disease is irreversibly severe. Though effective treatments exist, such as the oral administration of azithromycin and rifampin, waiting until signs develop can result in a therapeutic course that is prolonged with lower chances for success. Thus, there is a critical need to discover methods for preventing foal pneumonia.

Investigators at several institutions have been working, often collaboratively, to further our understanding of the bacterium and the disease. They have had important breakthroughs, such as the demonstration that transfusion of hyperimmune plasma can reduce the frequency and the severity of pneumonia caused by R. equi, the identification and characterization of disease-causing factors of the bacterium, and the dissection of some aspects of the immune response of horses and foals to R. equi. Hyperimmune plasma provides passive immunity, but it is time consuming to administer and expensive to produce or buy. A vaccine to provide active immunity would be more convenient, but development of an effective one has proved elusive.

Those studying the disease are committed to improving foal health. Collaboration greatly increases the resources and opportunities for continued major breakthroughs that could reduce the burden of the disease. Foals that survive R. equi are less likely to race than foals that never contracted the disease, and breeding farms reputed to have an endemic problem with R. equi may lose clients out of concern for the welfare of the foals (despite the fact that this disease in general appears to occur at farms that use management practices deemed superior!).

Much work remains to be done to build on these findings, including understanding the environmental conditions that might make infection more likely among foals. If a successful vaccine is to be developed, much more needs to be learned about the immune system of foals and how it will respond to R. equi. In addition, novel methods of vaccination may be needed to stimulate immunity very early in a foal's life.

Additionally, their findings are likely to have application to other infectious foal diseases, such as diarrhea and sepsis, a major killer of newborn foals. Studies funded by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation (www.grayson-jockeyclub.org) and the Morris Animal Foundation (www.morrisanimalfoundation.org) are currently in progress. Successful conclusion of these projects will help guide the research community toward the next steps necessary in combating the disease.

The equine veterinary community is issuing a collective call for support in this endeavor. Donations to the organizations named above as well as the American Quarter Horse Foundation (www.aqha.com/foundation), the American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation (www.aaepfoundation.org) or your favorite veterinary school will help support foal pneumonia research and hopefully enable the discovery of a vaccine that will prevent the disease or ameliorate these early infections and provide an effective disease control.

Please contact the AAEP Foundation (www.aaepfoundation.org) for information about how to make donations for equine research, or call 1-800-443-0177 (within the United States) or 859-233-0147. This is just one of the many efforts that the AAEP is coordinating on behalf of the industry through the Equine Research Coordination Group (ERCG), which comprises researchers and organizations that support equine research. Organized last year with a mission of advancing the health and welfare of horses, the ERCG promoted the discovery and sharing of new knowledge, enhancing awareness of the need for targeted research, educating the public, expanding fundraising opportunities, and facilitating cooperation among funding agencies.

The mission of the Equine Research Coordination Group (ERCG) is to advance the health and welfare of horses by promoting the discovery and sharing of new knowledge, enhancing awareness of the need for targeted research, educating the public, expanding fundraising opportunities, and facilitating cooperation among funding agencies.

The ERCG is a group comprising researchers and organizations that support equine research. Participants in the ERCG include equine foundations and multiple university research representatives. Current participants include: AAEP Foundation, American Horse Council, AQHA Foundation, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Morris Animal Foundation, Havemeyer Foundation, United States Equestrian Federation Foundation and University Researchers including: Noah Cohen, VMD, PhD (Texas A & M University), Greg Ferraro, DVM (University of California – Davis), Eleanor Green, DVM (University of Florida), Dick Mansmann, VMD, PhD (North Carolina State University), Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, PhD (Colorado State University), Jim Moore, DVM (University of Georgia), and Rustin Moore, DVM, PhD (The Ohio State University). For more information about the ERCG, please visit online at http://www.aaepfoundation.org and click on the ERCG link.

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EBMS and University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business Team up to Create Equine Business Management Strategies Program/September 29 – October 3, 2007 

by: Press Release

Equine Business Management Strategies (EBMS) has partnered with the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business to create a customized business management program for equine veterinarians. Through this collaboration, EBMS' goal is to educate equine veterinarians, practice managers, and key staff on specific business management processes to help increase clinic profitability. The program is made possible in part with the generous support of EBMS business partners: Fort Dodge Animal Health, Eklin Medical Systems, Inc., Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, and Milburne Equine.

The EBMS program is designed to provide the equine veterinary medical community with proven business practices in the areas of budgeting, management reporting, inventory management and control, human resources and more. Through presentations, open discussions, simulations, and breakout groups, EBMS' focus is to help practices increase profitability, establish accountability, and market services effectively, as well as provide networking opportunities and business templates specifically created for the program participants.

This intensive learning experience is customized for EBMS by the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, Executive Education in conjunction with the Center for Advanced Studies in Business, Inc. This year, ranked No. 1 as the “Best Value for Money,” UW-Madison Executive Education has made the Financial Times' annual list of the world's top executive education providers for the third straight year.

Dr. Bill Rood, CEO of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, KY, a 2006 EBMS program attendee, said, “Absolutely no detail was missed, an exceptionally well planned and well executed experience. The program allowed me to expand my comfort zone and gain knowledge and experience to go forth.” Dr. Rood is looking forward to this year's program.

For more information and to register for this program, visit the website at www.equinebusinessmanagement.com, or call 1-262-569-1550.