EQUINE SCIENCE CENTER'S DR. CAREY WILLIAMS TO BE SPEAKER

AT 'HORSES 2006 AT CORNELL' CONFERENCE MARCH 25 AND 26, 2006

            ITHACA, NY (February 1, 2006) – Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension Specialist Dr. Carey Williams will talk about equine nutrition at Horses 2006, a conference and exposition at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, scheduled for March 25 and 26, 2006. The event is a collaboration of Cornell, Rutgers University/Cook College and the University of Vermont.

            Dr. Williams’ presentation, “Facts and Myths About Equine Nutrition and Supplements,” will take place in back-to-back sessions at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 26 in Morrison Hall on the Cornell campus.

The conference and expo are open to the public. The vendor fair, which will take place in the buildings of the New York State Veterinary School at Cornell University, offers free admission. The educational sessions and clinics require registration, with “early bird” fees of $30 for youth and $50 for adults for one day and $50 and $80, respectively, for two days of the conference. Information is available at the conference website: http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/horses.

            Dr. Williams will draw upon her experience and extensive reserve of questions and answers that are posted on the Rutgers Equine Science Center website at www.esc.rutgers.edu. Her “Ask the Expert”  feature elicits equine nutrition and other questions from around the globe, which Dr. Williams or members of the Equine Science Center-affiliated faculty answer personally. Then the most relevant questions and answers are posted on the website.

            “Ask the Expert,” introduced just a year ago, has become one of the most requested features of the Center’s website.

            Dr. Williams currently is conducting research in nutrition and exercise-related topics and is managing a major pasture and horse management project on the Rutgers campus. Her master’s and doctorate degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University emphasized equine nutrition and exercise physiology. Her bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University was in equine science. She is a member of several professional organizations and in her spare time trains and competes with her Thoroughbred mare at dressage shows and horse trials.

            Other presenters at Horses 2006 include Dr. Debbie Cherney of Cornell on pasture management; well known trainer Judy Richter on hunter basics and hunt seat equitation; Susan Harris, trainer and writer, on centered riding and the anatomy of the horse in motion; and Cornell veterinary professor Katherine Houpt on equine behavior. Other presentations will cover emergency preparedness; marketing; bridle and saddle fitting; first aid; infectious disease control and other topics.

            The “Horses” conferences began in 2000 with the goal of providing science-based information to horse owners and enthusiasts on the East Coast.  Cornell, Rutgers and the University of Vermont have shared the hosting of these popular events.  “Horses 2007” will be hosted by Rutgers/Cook College and the Equine Science Center on March 31 and April 1, 2007 on the Cook College campus in New Brunswick, NJ. Further details of the 2007 event will be posted on the Equine Science Center website as they become available.