If you own a fancy warmblood or a sleek thoroughbred, you may disagree with the premise of Cornell University’s Equine Seminar Series presentation entitled, “Why is the mule the most important member of the horse family?”
Want to draw your own conclusion? Go to Zoom from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday Feb. 21, when Dr. Doug Antczak, the Dorothy Havemeyer McConville professor of Equine Medicine at the Baker Institute for Animal Health, will introduce you to the fascinating world of mules.
It’s free, but registration is required at this link
In case you don’t know, the Mule is a hybrid produced by a mating between two separate species, the horse and donkey. Mules have a long history of contributions to human society as a remarkable beast of burden and source of animal power.
Less well-known are the many ways in which the study of mules has advanced scientific thought and our understanding of fundamental biological principles. This seminar will introduce you to the fascinating world of mules.
The professor graduated from Cornell with a BA in biology in 1969, before receiving his VMD from University of Pennsylvania in 1973. He then completed a PhD in immunology at the University of Cambridge in 1978. At Cornell, his research program is focused on horse health.
Among other important projects, Dr. Antczak’s genetic selection and breeding of horses led to his continuing involvement in the international Horse Genome Project.
This seminar is part of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Equine Seminar Series, presented by the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Equine Hospital, the New York State 4-H Horse Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension.