Therapeutic riding pioneer Octavia Brown will be honored with the “Spirit of the Horse” award during the Rutgers Equine Science Center’s Evening of Science & Celebration next month.
Octavia Brown
The keynote speaker is Dr. Frank Andrew of Louisiana State University, whose topic is diestary management of gastric ulcers in horses, a topic to which so many horse owners can relate. The event will take place Nov. 3 from 6-9 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Cook Student Center on the Cook Campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick.
The eventing brings together equine professionals, horse owners, farm owners and barn managers, educators and students, 4-H members and horse enthusiasts so they can learn about current projects and research being conducted at the Equine Science Center. The Center aims to address horse industry issues and challenges through science and research.
The keynote speech will focus on risk factors, clinical signs, and how stomach ulcers can be diagnosed.
The speaker is the LVMA Equine Committee professor, head of veterinary clinical sciences and director of the equine health studies program at LSU’s School of Veterinary Medicine.
He is a clinician-scientist with a strong research background in the areas of equine gastrointestinal health and disease, and has been active in scientific investigation for more than 30 years.
Karyn Malinowski, founding director of the Equine Science Center, will give her yearly update on the state of the Center, and the accomplishment over the last year.
Research updates will be provided by Ph.D. Candidate Ellen Rankins from the Rutgers Endocrinology and Animal Biosciences Program, on “Co-regulation Between Horse and Human in Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) and its Effects on Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Veterans”. Kenneth McKeever; associate director of research, Rutgers Equine Science Center, and a professor in the Department of Animal Sciences; will discuss his research into “Effect of Nasal Flairs on Thermoregulation During Exercise.” Daniel Gimenez, a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences, speak on “Effects of Horse Manure-Sourced Biochar on Soil Nutrients, Carbon Sequestration and Hydraulic Properties of Agricultural Soils”.
The Spirit of the Horse award recognizes individuals whose lives have been profoundly changed because of their involvement with horses and who have acknowledged the impact by giving back to the horse industry.
“Dr. Octavia Brown has been a stalwart supporter of the equine community in New Jersey and was an instrumental organizer and founder of multiple equine programs and initiatives throughout the state”, said Karyn Malinowski. “Tave is truly worthy of the ‘Spirit of the Horse’ award, as evidenced by her long-time commitment to the advancement of Equine Assisted Services nationwide.”
The 2022 winner of the Gold Medal Horse Farm award will be announced at the event.
The event requires registration that can be made online at https://go.rutgers.edu/Evening2022.
For additional information, please contact the Equine Science Center at 848-932-9419 or Kyle Hartmann at kylehart@njaes.rutgers.edu.