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UD, Penn to co-host annual equitation science conference July 18-20

June 17, 2013 under CANR News

The University of Delaware and the University of Pennsylvania will co-host the ninth annual conference of the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) July 18-20.

ISES is a nonprofit organization that facilitates research into the training of horses so as to enhance horse welfare and improve the horse-rider relationship.

With the theme of “Embracing Science to Enhance Equine Welfare and Horse-Human Interactions,” the conference will bring together more than 200 equine scientists, veterinarians, students, horse trainers, instructors and riders to discuss equitation science research.

Presentation days will be held at UD’s Clayton Hall Conference Center in Newark July 18-19 and the practical day program, with live demonstrations, will take place at Penn’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa., July 20.

“This conference has much to offer equine professionals, and other members of the equine community actively engaged in the industry,” said Carissa Wickens, a UD assistant professor of animal and food sciences and co-chair of the conference organizing committee. “It will focus on ways of improving horse training as well as encouraging the development of science-based criteria to measure the welfare of the horse in its interactions with humans.”

Keynote speakers for the conference include Natalie Waran from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh; Hayley Randle from Duchy College in Great Britain; Jan Ladewig from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark; Hilary Clayton from Michigan State University; and Paul McGreevy from the University of Sydney in Australia.

To register for the conference, or more information, see this website.

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Animal Science Club to screen the film “Temple Grandin”

April 25, 2013 under CANR News

The Animal Science Club will host a viewing of the award winning HBO film Temple Grandin on Wednesday, May 1, at 5:30 p.m. in 006 Kirkbride Hall. The film stars Claire Danes as Temple Grandin, and portrays the early life and career of Grandin, the challenges she faced and her accomplishments as a young woman growing up with autism.

Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. She teaches courses on livestock behavior and facility design and consults with the livestock industry on facility design, livestock handling and animal welfare. She has designed livestock handling facilities located in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and other countries.

Nearly half of the cattle in North America are handled in a center track restrainer system that Grandin designed for meat plants. Her research interests include cattle temperament, environmental enrichment for pigs, bull fertility, training procedures, and effective stunning methods for cattle and pigs at meat plants.

Grandin has authored several books including: Thinking in Pictures, Livestock Handling and Transport, Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals, and Humane Livestock Handling. Her books Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human were both on the New York Times best-seller list.

The film will be introduced by Carissa Wickens, assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, who recently co-authored a chapter on horse handling and transport for Grandin’s 4th edition of Livestock Handling and Transport. Wickens also had the privilege of serving as a judge alongside Grandin during the Collegiate Animal Welfare Judging Competition held at Michigan State University in the fall of 2011.

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UD Equine Seminar Series Set for the Delaware Horse Expo

March 4, 2013 under CANR News, Cooperative Extension

The 2013 Delaware Horse Expo will be held this year on Saturday, April 6 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday, April 7 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington, Delaware. As part of the Delaware Horse Expo, the University of Delaware will be hosting the “UD Equine Seminar Series” with speakers scheduled for both days of the event.

Topics will include equine nutrition, spring horse health, care and management of retired racehorses and more.

The speakers include:

Saturday – April 6

11:00 a.m., Dr. Nettie Liburt, Equine Specialist, Kent Nutrition Group – “Selecting the Right Feed for Your Horse.”

12:00 p.m., Dr. Carey Williams, Associate Professor and Equine Extension Specialist, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – “Supplements: Choosing them Wisely.”

2:15 p.m., Delmarva Equine Clinic – “Spring Horse Health Care.”

3:15 p.m., Dr. Carissa Wickens, Assistant Professor and Equine Extension Specialist, University of Delaware – “What We Know About Stereotypic Behavior in Horses.”

Sunday – April 7

11:00 a.m., Erin Pittman, Board Member, Retired Racehorse Training Project, Business Manager, Dodon Farm – “Care and Feeding of the Retired Racehorse.”

12:00 p.m., Wendy Lippincott, Dusty Chaps Farm, Co-owner and Instructor  – “Backyard Horse- keeping, is it Doable or Should I Board?”

2:00 p.m., Steuart Pittman, President, Retired Racehorse Training Project with New Bolton Center clinician – “Lameness Issues in the Thoroughbred Racehorse and Therapies to Resolve Unsoundness.”

3:00 p.m., Mary Bashtarz, BALANCE Registered Test Ride Facilitator  – “Horse Friendly Saddle Features.”

The UD Equine Seminar Series is a collaborative effort between UD, the Delaware Equine Council, and Chick’s Saddlery.

For more information on the Delaware Horse Expo, visit the Delaware Horse Expo website.

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Free Webcast Offered on Stereotypic Behaviors in Horses

January 14, 2013 under CANR News, Cooperative Extension

Carissa Wickens, assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences and equine extension specialist, will present a free webcast at 7 p.m., on Tuesday, January 22, focusing on equine behavior titled, “Is it Coping or is it a Vice? A Review of Cribbing, Weaving and Other Stereotypic Behaviors.”

The presentation will highlight recent research findings related to stereotypic behaviors in horses and will stress the importance of understanding why horses develop these behaviors.

Those wishing to watch the presentation will need to visit My Horse University to register. If it is your first time registering for a My Horse University webcast, you will need to create an account at this link.

My Horse University in partnership with eXtension Horses hosts multiple equine focused webcasts September through May. Presentations are delivered by national equine experts on a variety of topics including nutrition, behavior, genetics, health, conformation and selection, equine business management, and farm safety, just to name a few. Please click here for more information on upcoming and archived webcasts offered through My Horse University.

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University of Delaware Poultry Career Seminar series

December 11, 2012 under CANR News

Poultry career seminar seriesThe University of Delaware held its first Poultry Career Seminar series this fall with funding provided by a grant from the United States Poultry Foundation and additional funds from the UD Career Services. The series of four seminars were held on October 3, 8, 16 and November 1.

Connie Parvis, director of education and consumer information from Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc., spoke at the Oct. 3 seminar. She started the program giving an overview of the industry and discussed career and scholarship opportunities. She was joined by Byron C. Friend from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service who spoke about how his service facilitates the marketing of poultry, poultry products and eggs.

The second seminar included Bernie Murphy, a UD alumni who earned his doctorate from Iowa State University and serves as President of the Jones Hamilton Co., a leader in producing, packaging and distributing chemicals and compounds for a variety of customers since 1951.

Perdue Farms also presented during the second seminar, with Todd Baker, breeders operations manager, Katelyn MacCann, UD alumna and breeders farm manager, and Chris DelCastillo, Milford associate relations representative, speaking about career and internship opportunities at Perdue Farms, a family-owned company producing the Perdue brand of premium fresh chicken based in Salisbury, Maryland.

The third seminar included Pat Townsend, director of human resources at Mountaire Farms, who described their year long management training program, as well as internship and career opportunities. Mountaire Farms is a diverse poultry and agricultural business that partners with local farming communities to raise chickens and grains to feed them.

He was followed by Bill Brown, UD alumni and UD poultry extension specialist, and Carissa Wickens, assistant professsor and equine extension specialist. Brown described the purpose of Cooperative Extension and the many career opportunities it affords, while Wickens discussed the CANR Cooperative Extension Summer Scholars Internship Program and brought along her summer scholar, Rebecca Frost, a sophmore studying in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences (ANFS).

Chuck Snipes, Mid-Atlantic sales representative of Cobb-Vantress, Inc., gave an overview of his company’s research, development and production of broiler breeding stock and the company’s internship and career opportunities. The final speaker in the seminar series was Nannette Olmeda-Geniec, poultry technical consultant for Elanco, an international company that develops products and services that enhance animal health, wellness and performance. Olmeda-Geniec is a veterinarian who earned her doctorate at UD in ANFS and presented an overview of this international company and the opportunities for internships and careers within her company.

A total of 81 students attended the seminars, with seven students attending all four. The seminars were also used to promote the United States Poultry Foundation’s College Student Career Program to be held in Atlanta, Georgia in January 2013. The program will allow students opportunities to interview with 25 regional, national and international poultry and agribusiness companies and organizations while having the opportunity to network with over 970 companies.

A goal of ANFS is to increase the number of students participating in the United States Poultry Foundation’s College Student Career Program. This year the ANFS Department will increase the number of undergraduate and graduate students participating in the expo from 4 to 11.

Photo by Danielle Quigley

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Nov: Equine Behavior Short Course

October 9, 2012 under CANR News, Cooperative Extension, Events

The University of Delaware Cooperative Extension is excited to offer a three-night educational series this fall on topics related to equine behavior. All three sessions will be held at the Paradee Center, Kent County Extension Office in Dover, Delaware from 6:30-8:30 pm. A registration fee and advanced registration will be required. Light refreshments and take-home materials will be included as part of the registration fee.

Night 1 on Monday, November 5 will focus around the theme of “Foundations of Equine Behavior” and will cover topics such as anatomy and physiology, the workings of the equine brain, normal or natural equine behavior and learning terminology and how horses learn.

Night 2 on Wednesday, November 7 will focus around the theme of “Handling Behavior Problems” and will cover topics such as stereotypies and dealing with common equine behavior issues. This evening will feature a special guest lecturer, Dr. Sue McDonnell from the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, a nationally known researcher and speaker on equine behaviors.

Night 3 on Wednesday, November 14 will focus around the theme of “Working Effectively with Equine Behavior” and will cover topics such as positive versus negative reinforcement, a review of current training approaches and common equine welfare concerns.

Interested individuals may attend just one or all three of the sessions. For more information please contact Susan Garey at (302) 730-4000 truehart@udel.edu or Dr. Carissa Wickens at cwickens@udel.edu.

For additional information and to register for this program, please visit the UD Cooperative Extension Equine Blog at http://extension.udel.edu/equine/.

If you have special needs that need to be accommodated, please contact the office two weeks prior to the event.

Cooperative Extension Education in Agriculture and Home Economics, University of Delaware, Delaware State University and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. Distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, Delaware Cooperative Extension, University of Delaware. It is the policy of the Delaware Cooperative Extension System that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, disability, age or national origin.

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Equine Pasture Walk Program

August 6, 2012 under CANR News, Cooperative Extension

The University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Equine Program will host an “Equine Pasture Walk” from 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, August 21, at Adandy Farm in Greenwood, Delaware.

Participants will learn how to take a soil sample and identify various types of forage. Proper fertilizer application will also be discussed and experts from UD will be on hand to answer any questions.

The event is free and open to the public. Those who attend are asked to bring a folding chair as well as water.

The event will occur rain or shine. To register or request more information, or if special assistance is required for the meeting, please call Carissa Wickens in advance at (302) 831-1340.

It is the policy of the Delaware Cooperative Extension System that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, disability, age or national origin.

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UD Cooperative Extension Equine Blog Survey

July 26, 2012 under Cooperative Extension

The University of Delaware Cooperative Extension would like to evaluate the current use of their Equine Blog site within the Delaware equine community and the surrounding areas. Understanding which features are most helpful to site visitors will facilitate the further development of this online resource.

Participation in the survey is completely voluntary and anonymous, and the survey will be available through August 8.

To complete the survey online, visit the UD Cooperative Extension Equine Blog at http://sites.udel.edu/equine/.

If you would like to receive a paper copy of the survey, please contact Dr. Carissa Wickens at (302) 831-1340.

The UD Cooperative Extension Equine Program would like to thank those who participate in advance for their help with this important study.

Cooperative Extension Education in Agriculture and Home Economics, University of Delaware, Delaware State University and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating.  Distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914.  It is the policy of the Delaware Cooperative Extension System that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, disability, age, or national origin.

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Animal Science Club excels in quiz bowl at NESA Competition

March 23, 2012 under CANR News

The University of Delaware Animal Science Club had a strong showing in the quiz bowl portion of the 2012 Northeast Student Affiliate (NESA) competition hosted by the University of Maine on Saturday, Feb. 18.

The quiz bowl took place in a bracket system, with the UD teams competing against 49 other teams from 10 universities, which this year included schools such as Penn State University, Rutgers University and the University of Maryland.

The eight students representing UD were split up into two teams of four, UD teams A and B. Team B placed 10th overall, earning itself a blue ribbon handed out at the competition’s awards banquet.

Laura Nemec, laboratory coordinator in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences and the club adviser who went with the group to the competition, said that the teams from UD “were a great mix of freshman through seniors and many had little to no experience with NESA previously.”

Explaining that UD team B missed out on advancing in the quiz bowl by only one point, Nemec said that the Animal Science Club members “did a fantastic job this year and are already looking for more new members and practicing questions for next year at Rutgers. I could not be more proud of the NESA teams and Animal Science Club.”

The rounds were made up of 20 questions each, with the teams getting buzzers to ring in with the correct answers. Questions consisted of general agricultural questions, but also involved some bio-anatomy, biology and some trivia about the host school sprinkled into the competition, as well.

To prepare for the quiz bowl, Jennifer West, a senior in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) and president of the Animal Science Club, explained that the students used questions from the previous year’s competition and began to study them over Winter Session. The questions also helped pass the time as they prepped on their 11-hour car ride to Maine. Another way that they prepared was having UD professors come in and “speak with us and give kind of quick mini-lectures about what they teach.”

These lectures covered topics such as anatomy, genetics and nutrition. Faculty who spoke to the club included Carissa Wickens, assistant professor of animal and food sciences, Robert Dyer, associate professor of animal and food sciences, Carl Schmidt, associate professor of animal and food sciences, and Tanya Gressley, assistant professor of animal and food sciences.

Quiz bowl was only a portion of the NESA competition, which also included a livestock judging competition and a paper presentation.

Ariana Shakory, a sophomore in CANR, explained that the club had help in preparing for the livestock judging portion of the competition. Club members visited the University of Delaware dairy farm and learned and practiced dairy cattle judging with Richard Morris, dairy manager at the UD farm, which Shakory called “a good experience and good practice.”

For the paper presentations, each team selected one team member to give a presentation. The two members from UD were West and Jessica Applebaum, a junior in CANR. West’s paper focused on “Antibiotic Resistance and the Transmission from Livestock to Human Consumption,” while Applebaum’s dealt with “Mastitis in Dairy Cattle,” an inflammation of the udders.

While the team is already looking forward to next year’s event at Rutgers, they also have their eye on eventually hosting the event at UD because, as West explained, “with the shorter travel distance it would cost less and we could take more than two teams. We would really love to bring NESA back to UD — it would be really fun to do all the behind the scenes planning.”

According to Sara Hobson, a CANR senior and vice president of the Animal Science Club who chaired this year’s NESA planning committee, the last time UD hosted the event was 1996.

About the Animal Science Club

For anyone interested in joining the Animal Science Club, it meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Room 107 of Sharp Laboratory.  While the majority in the club are Animal Science majors, that is not a pre-requisite to join as the club accepts students from all majors.

The club prides itself on providing a great opportunity for hands-on experience and involvement in the community. The club members volunteer at local farms and animal shelters, and they regularly have guest speakers from places like Carousel Farms come in to talk with the group about a variety of experiences.

Applebaum explained that she got involved with the club because, “I really want to go to vet school and I feel like the hands on experience would really help me and they bring in speakers from different places, like vet schools and animal organizations, and you also get to meet a lot of people on campus.”

The club’s advisers are Laura Nemec and Lesa Griffiths, professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences.

For more information on the Animal Science Club, visit their website or e-mail Jennifer West or Nina Lee, junior in CANR and secretary of the Animal Science Club.

Article by Adam Thomas

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UD Equine Seminar Series to be featured at Delaware Horse Expo

February 21, 2012 under CANR News, Cooperative Extension

Chick’s Discount Saddlery is hosting the 8th annual Delaware Horse Expo Saturday, March 17 and Sunday, March 18 at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington, DE. This two-day event will feature clinics, demonstrations, educational seminars, and commercial vendors.

This year will also include the University of Delaware Equine Seminar Series, sponsored by University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and the Delaware Equine Council.

The seminar will feature presentations on equine nutrition and health, selection of horses and costs associated with horse ownership, spring pasture management strategies, breeding management, the human-horse interaction, and equine trails.

The full list of speakers is below, with the topic of their presentations in bold.

Saturday, March 17

  • 10:30 a.m. Dr. Carissa Wickens, Assistant Professor and Equine Extension Specialist, University of Delaware. The Economics of Horse Ownership.
  • 11:30 a.m. Laura Florence, AFA Certified Farrier, Holistic Hoof Care. Hoof Care and Hoof Health.
  • 12:30 p.m. Peggy Koster, and Mary Everhart, Delaware Equine Council. Trails.
  • 1:30 p.m. Alex Brown – Author, Barbaro and His Legacy. The Horse and Human Connection and Inspiration of Barbaro.
  • 2:30 p.m. Dr. Tamara Dobbie, DVM, Diplomate ACT – Hoffman Center for Large Animal Reproduction, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania. Managing the Pregnant Mare and Newborn Foal.
  • 3:30 p.m. Dr. Martin Adams – Nutritionist and Feeds Manager with Southern States. Basic Equine Nutrition.

Sunday, March 18

  • 10:30 a.m. Dr. Ashley Boyle, DVM, Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Studies – New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania. Equine Vaccination and Disease Prevention.
  • 11:30 a.m. Dr. Tamara Dobbie, DVM, Diplomate ACT – Hoffman Center for Large Animal Reproduction, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania. Getting Your Mare and Stallion Ready for the Breeding Season.
  • 12:30 p.m. Dr. Martin Adams – Nutritionist and Feeds Manager with Southern States. Nutrition for Common Equine Health Issues.
  • 1:30 p.m. Dr. Richard Taylor, Agronomy Specialist, University of Delaware. Managing Springtime Pastures.
  • 2:30 p.m. Dr. Carissa Wickens, Assistant Professor and Equine Extension Specialist, University of Delaware. Selection of Horses.

For more information, visit the website

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