The care and nutrition of competition horses will be the focus of this year’s Kentucky Equine Research (KER) Nutrition Conference, held this year on April 26-27 in Lexington, Ky.

The theme of this year’s conference, “Feeding and Veterinary Management of the Sport Horse,” is particularly relevant as Kentucky prepares for the World Equestrian Games, to be held in Lexington this fall.

In this age of scientific breakthroughs, management of elite equine athletes now includes equal measures of art and science. Although excellence and artistry in horsemanship will always be a necessary component in the success of top-flight horses, trusting relationships with equine health care professionals are pivotal for whole-body well-being. Specifically, modern management protocols for sport horses often hinge on two critical sciences: nutrition and veterinary care.

KER is dedicated to the health of all horses, and the organization maintains a vested interest in the nutritional management of high-performance horses. In addition to KER’s in-house experts, the industry’s top veterinary researchers will be on hand to discuss relevant health issues at this year’s conference (see list below).

Please join KER and its panel of invited speakers to learn more about the nutrition and veterinary management of sport horses.

The roster of presentations on Monday includes in-depth scientific topics, while Tuesday’s schedule covers practical management of sport horses and will be of interest to horse owners, competitors, trainers, managers, vet techs, veterinarians, and others who have hands-on involvement with horses.

Cost for both days is $500; registration prior to March 26 is $450. AAEP members pay a discounted rate of $300.

Registration for the Tuesday, April 27, Horseman’s Day, is $150; members of KER-affiliated organizations may attend all the Horseman’s Day sessions for $100. Those organizations are United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), United States Eventing Association (USEA), United States Dressage Federation (USDF), United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA), American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC), Kentucky Hunter Jumper Association (KHJA), Kentucky Dressage Association (KDA), and MidSouth Eventing and Dressage Association (MSEDA).

Registration for Monday’s scientific sessions only is $300.

Kentucky Equine Research is an AAVSB RACE-approved provider.

Following is the program of presentations and presenters for the 2010 KER conference, Feeding and Veterinary Management of the Sport Horse:

Monday, April 26th

Achieving Peak Performance: Advances in Nutrition and Veterinary Management of the Sport Horse

. Energetics: Choosing the Appropriate Fuel, Joe D. Pagan, PhD, Kentucky Equine Research;

. Hydration of the Sport Horse, Hal Schott, DVM, PhD, Michigan State University;

. Antioxidant Research and its Application to Feeding Horses, Carey Williams, PhD, Rutgers University;

. Advances in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Joint Disease, Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, FRCVS, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, Dipl. ECVS, Colorado State University;

. Pursuing the Genetic Basis for Tying-Up Syndromes in Equine Breeds, Stephanie Valberg, DVM, PhD, University of Minnesota;

. Use of Heart Rate Metrics to Predict Energy Expenditure in Exercising Horses, Manfred Coenen, PhD, Leipzig University;

. Managing Competitive Horses within the Current Drug Use Guidelines, Steven Schumacher, DVM, USEF Drugs & Medications;

Tuesday, April 27th

Nutritional Management of Sport Horses: Different Systems for Different Disciplines

. Prevention and Management of Joint Disease in the Sport Horse, McIlwraith;

. The Management of Tying-Up in Sport Horses: Challenges and Successes, Valberg;

. Electrolyte Use for Hydration of the Sport Horse, Schott;

. Trends in Management of European Sport Horses, Coenen;

. Feeding the Elite Sport Horse, Pagan;

. Feeding the Three-Day Event Horse, Williams;

. Feeding Horses at the Winter Equestrian Festival: A Review of Common Practices, Olivia Martin, Performance Feeding;

. Observations and Recommendations for Feeding the Endurance Horse, Crandell.

Click on these links for information on https://shop.ker.com/conference2010/ Registration or http://www.ker.com/hotelreservations/ Hotel Reservations at the Embassy Suites in Lexington, or contact Kentucky Equine Research, 3910 Delaney Ferry Road, Versailles, KY 40383, USA; 859/873-1988; Fax 859/873-3781; e-mail [email protected]. Or visit http://www.ker.com/ www.ker.com.