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Revised: 05/22/2008 |
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Equine Science Update and Equine Management Update 2005
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - On December 13, 2005, the Equine Science Center
hosted the Equine Science Update for horse and horse farm owners and the
public. The Science Update showcases Rutgers’ progress in equine science and
research over the past year. This year, the Science Update was preceded by
the new Equine Management Update, which addresses upcoming topics of
interest to horse people. Manure Management for Horse Farms - Michael Westendorf, Ph.D. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is revising its rules on manure management. Public input was gathered at three regional meetings and two informal comment periods. Most of the rules revolve around protecting New Jersey waters from manure. Dr. Michael Westendorf, Associate Professor and Associate Extension Specialist at Rutgers, highlighted the latest rules which include keeping manure storage areas 100 feet away from all state waters and not allowing animals in confined areas to have uncontrolled access to these waters. The best way for horse owners to comply with the new rules is to store their manure in a dry, level, impermeable location free from storm water runoff and to apply or spread it on land in accordance with Best Management Practices (BMP) described in the New Jersey Department of Agriculture BMP Manual. All agricultural animal operations will have to follow the General Requirements of the rules. However, all operations with eight or more Animal Units (1 Animal Unit or AU = 1000 pounds of live animal weight) or those receiving 155 or more tons of animal waste per year will be required to develop and implement a self-certified Animal Waste Management Plan. Operations with animal densities greater than 1 AU per acre will be required to have their self-certified plans reviewed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Operations with 300 or more AUs, regardless of animal densities, will need to develop and implement a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) and be certified by the NJDA. Operations with 1 to 7 AUs or those receiving or applying less than 155 tons of animal waste per year are encouraged, but not required, to develop a self-certified Animal Waste Management Plan. Despite the fact that these smaller operations are not required to develop a plan they are still responsible for managing manure in accordance with Best Management Practices. These new rules are also being applied to the Ryders Lane facility at Rutgers. Part of the farm’s design as an ideal equine facility includes a showcase for manure management techniques. New facilities will contain short-term manure stacking pads, a composting area, and several vegetative buffer areas. The buffers will assist in the removal of nutrients and the filtration of microbes from manure runoff. The ultimate goal is to create a demonstration working horse farm that implements Best Management Practices in order to maintain water and environmental quality. Equine Identification in the U.S. – Sebastian Reist, DVM Dr. Sebastian Reist, from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health, took some time to answer questions and address concerns about the National Animal Identification System. The system is intended to help identify and track animals. The goals of the program include protecting horses and humans, aiding in the recovery of lost, stolen and misplaced animals, and controlling exotic and national diseases. One of the strongest incentives of the program is the ability to quickly and efficiently track animals in the case of a disease outbreak. Currently the equine industry is favoring the use of implantable Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags for horses; however it has not officially endorsed one form of identification over another. In the plan’s first stages of implementation, horses will need to be tagged as they leave the property they are kept on. Once the program is in place and most horses are tagged then the responsibility of tagging will lie with the owner of the foal at birth. Any horse that comes in contact with other horses will need to be tagged. This program is not currently mandatory, since it is still in the developmental stages, but an eventual mandatory compliance with the identification program will allow for more effective care of U.S. horses. The United States Department of Agriculture is aware of concerns about confidentiality of the information gathered and is working closely with other groups to address them to ensure that the national identification program will be an effective and safe way to identify and, if necessary, track sick animals. Update on the Equine Science Center – Dr. Karyn Malinowski and Diana Orban Brown The Equine Science Center had a productive year, with many milestones. Dr. Karyn Malinowski, Equine Science Center Director, and Diana Orban Brown, Communications Director, outlined the progress made and current projects. The Equine Science Center is now approved as a provider of continuing education credits for veterinarians and vet technicians. It is also actively participating in the state’s right-to-farm rulemaking process for equine operations. The Center brokered the assignment for Rutgers’ Center for Turfgrass Science to oversee the refurbishment of the turf course at Monmouth Park. Additionally, it hosted a “Stakeholder Listen and Respond Roundtable” in October and the Mid-Atlantic Equine Pasture Initiative in December. The Equine Science Center will continue several fund-raising activities to reach their goals of a $2 million Endowed Directorship, a $3 million new equine learning center, and the refurbishment of the historic Round House on the Cook College campus. The Center continues to raise money for faculty, graduate fellowship, and scholarship endowments. The launch of the “Community of 50 for Equine Excellence” was the first step toward meeting these goals. The group was organized to fund the Endowed Directorship. Members of the “Community of 50” pledge a substantial gift at the President’s Council level ($10,000) or more per year for four years. The Center thanked the “Community of 50” members who were present. New additions have been made to the Equine Science Center website, including an “Ask the Expert” feature. The website also contains news from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health Division and updates from the American Horse Council. During 2005, Rutgers had a record number of presentations (eleven) at the Equine Science Society meeting in Tucson, AZ. Rutgers graduated three M.S. and two Ph.D. students from its Equine Science program. Research grants, contracts, and gifts received exceeded one million dollars, and five undergraduate students were awarded the Doris C. Murphy Endowed Scholarship in Equine Science. Vitamin E and Stressed Equine Athletes – Carey Williams, Ph.D. Vitamin E has been shown to have beneficial effects for the equine athlete, aiding the horse’s muscle recovery after exercise. Current research done by Dr. Williams has focused on determining a correct dose of vitamin E. Her research discovered that horses undergoing intense exercise do not have as much oxidative stress as endurance horses. Moderate vitamin E supplementation is recommended for horses undergoing intense exercise, but high levels of vitamin E can be detrimental due to the vitamin’s interaction with other nutrients. Nutritional Insights from the Young Horse Teaching and Research Program - Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN Dr. Sarah Ralston, Associate Professor in the department of Animal Science at Rutgers, outlined the goals of the Young Horse Teaching and Research program:
Research done by Dr. Ralston (sponsored by Idle Acres of Cokato, MN and Nutrena) showed that weanlings and yearlings, offered only free access to TMR cubes, grew efficiently and did not have any health problems compared to horses of the same age and type fed a standard hay and concentrate diet. In fact, the TMR-fed horses tended to be more efficient than their traditionally fed counterparts, gaining more weight per calorie consumed. Another outcome of this research was the observation that Belgian and Percheron cross (“warmblood”) weanlings and yearlings gained weight more rapidly on fewer calories than predicted by the National Research Council (1989) for “hot blooded” horses such as Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds or Quarter Horses. In an ongoing collaboration with Dr. Istvan Pelczer of Princeton University and his students, Dr. Ralston and her students are also exploring the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of blood and saliva in the cutting-edge field of metabonomics (the study of metabolic responses to drugs, environmental changes, and diseases). Blood and saliva samples from weanlings and yearlings taken after prolonged transport and after a standardized glucose challenge revealed many interesting correlations with compounds such as choline and lipoproteins. These compounds had not previously been recognized as being involved in the metabolic responses to these challenges. Drugs and Nutraceuticals Affecting Performance and Inflammation – Kenneth McKeever, Ph.D., FACSM For centuries in human medicine, the horse has been used as a model for certain organ groups and functions. In modern medicine, the trend continues. Dr. Ken McKeever, Associate Professor and Equine Exercise Physiologist at Rutgers, and his associates have studied several nutraceuticals and supplements, both for possible effects on equine athletic performance and for properties that could be applicable to humans. Jennifer Streltsova, who earned her M.S. in Animal Science from Rutgers in 2005, investigated natural orange peel and black tea extracts for their possible effects on exercise performance and/or inflammation. These extracts may provide an alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and their associated negative side effects, including the risk of ulcers, for horses and humans. Results from the studies showed that the extracts had no detrimental effects on the horses. Orange peel reduced the fast phase of recovery after exercise, which may benefit athletes required to perform repeated bouts of exercise. It also reduced the decrease in plasma volume seen during exercise, which may have implications for endurance athletes. Black tea appeared to suppress indicators of inflammation, which could have far-reaching effects in controlling inflammation. Nettie Liburt, who received her M.S. in Animal Science from Rutgers in 2005, continued this line of research and focused on ginger and cranberry extracts and their effects on inflammation. These extracts also showed no detrimental activity. Much like black tea, cranberry appeared to have a beneficial effect by suppressing indicators of inflammation. In addition, ginger also reduced the fast phase of aerobic recovery, but it increased markers of inflammation. The ginger (a potent extract) did cause gastrointestinal upset in the horses, and this might offer a partial explanation for the increase in markers of inflammation. The results of these two studies combined will lead into many other studies on natural alternatives to NSAIDS. The Creation of an Environmental Showcase at Rutgers Equine Science Center – Carey Williams, Ph.D., and Donna Foulk Rutgers Equine Science Center is developing a demonstration working horse farm implementing best management practices. Dr. Carey Williams, Assistant Extension Specialist at Rutgers, and Donna Foulk, Senior Agriculture Program Coordinator for Rutgers Cooperative Extension, highlighted the current plans and upcoming implementation of some best management practices. The task is a large one, as the current facility at the site on Ryders Lane has pastures that often are very wet and from time to time must support a large number of horses that are on or between research studies at Rutgers. The first step in creating an ideal horse farm is to refurbish existing pastures. Soil has been tested and experimental forage plots have been planted with different varieties of grasses suitable for horses. In addition, water management goals have been identified, and improved drainage at the facility is being designed. This demonstration horse farm provides unique educational opportunities for horse farm and managers to learn solutions to common problems from the renovations that will be in place at Ryders Lane. Learning opportunities include farm demonstrations and workshops, twilight meetings, short courses and informative literature (fact sheets and website). Current fact sheets focus on pasture renovation, forage varieties, soil fertility, weed identification and management, rotational grazing, storm water management and manure management. 2007 Breeder’s Cup Preparation at Monmouth Park – James Murphy, Ph.D. Dr. James Murphy, the Associate Extension Specialist for Rutgers Cooperative Extension in the Department of Plant Science, updated seminar attendees on the renovation at Monmouth Park. The Breeders Cup, the most prestigious event in Thoroughbred racing, will take place in New Jersey in 2007 at Monmouth Park. Reconstruction of the turf course to make Monmouth Park a top facility to host the Breeders Cup commenced in the late summer of 2005. The changes to the turf course include removing old turf, improving drainage, elevating the course, adjusting and increasing the cambers of the course, and transplanting new sod. An extremely rainy October of 2005 interrupted and slowed the reconstruction works; however, new sod was still being placed into December of 2005. Despite the weather-related setbacks, the new turf course will be ready for racing in 2006 and a source of New Jersey pride for the 2007 Breeder’s Cup.
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