The University of Kentucky (UK) Sports Medicine Research Center (SMRC), housed within the Department of Veterinary Science’s Gluck Equine Research Center at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), marked its opening with a select preview and ribbon cutting ceremony Oct. 30.

The ceremony was the official opening of the SMRC facility, offering a preview of the Cosequin Equine Exerciser and remodeled barn on the university’s North Farm, in Lexington. The facility will be a hub for advancing education and research on equine musculoskeletal disease and injury—a major welfare concern for horse owners, and the leading source of economic loss in the equine industry.

“This facility will provide novel research opportunities that focus on the improvement of equine welfare and safety and provide an unparalleled learning experience for graduate and undergraduate students,” said Bruno Menarim, DVM, PhD, Bill Gatton Foundation Endowed Chair in Veterinary Physiology and SMRC head. “The facility will enable translational, federally funded research opportunities that focus on improving human well-being, including leveraging proven translational equine models of orthopedic conditions in humans.”

The facility’s proposal was spearheaded by UK researchers Menarim; Allen Page, DVM, PhD, Bill Gatton Foundation Early-Career Professor at the Gluck Center; Austin Stone, MD, PhD, a knee and shoulder specialist at UK HealthCare’s Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine group; and Emma Adam, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVS, assistant professor and equine industry liaison at the Gluck Center.

The facility was funded through equine industry partnerships with Nutramax Laboratories Veterinary Sciences Inc., Keeneland, Spy Coast Farm, and Town and Country Farm. A gift from Nutramax Laboratories funded building the new eight-horse exerciser at the facility.

“Nutramax is delighted to support the Gluck Equine Research Center in the development of the Sports Medicine Research Center,” said Todd Henderson, DVM, and president of Nutramax Laboratories. “This facility will advance high-quality equine and translational research while creating meaningful opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to gain hands-on experience working with horses in a research setting. We are excited to partner with the Gluck Equine Research Center on this important initiative, united by our shared commitment to evidence-based medicine, scientific advancement, and the highest standards of welfare for both horses and humans.”

Orthopaedic conditions pose major welfare concern for horse owners and represent the leading cause of economic loss in the equine industry. Among such conditions, degenerative joint disease, also known as osteoarthritis, represents more than 60% of cases.

The research team also noted that musculoskeletal conditions also affect human health, with osteoarthritis ranking second only to cancer in costs to the U.S. public health system. Additionally, post-traumatic osteoarthritis is the most common cause of early retirement and long-term disability of American soldiers. Thus, there exists significant motivation to leverage research addressing musculoskeletal conditions, especially those affecting horses and humans.

The team says UK is uniquely positioned within the equine industry to address these issues collectively through expertise, stakeholder support, and collaborative relationships. The horse is not only the Gluck Center’s primary patient population but also an established model for the study of musculoskeletal conditions in humans, including osteoarthritis and therapy development.

The researchers who proposed the center planned a type of facility to meet the industry’s needs. The demand has been evident, particularly in Central Kentucky. Construction began in late 2025 and the facility has already supported several research projects within the Gluck Center and is currently reserved through 2028.

An existing 12-stall barn was renovated at UK’s North Farm. It is surrounded by 26 acres, which includes an additional 16-stall barn the team is already planning to expand to house additional exercisers, a surgical suite, and laboratory spaces. UK’s North Farm makes up 1,900 acres and is part of the Martin-Gatton CAFE Agricultural Experiment Station.

The research team say these resources uniquely position UK to offer hands-on graduate and undergraduate educational opportunities for multiple departments within Martin-Gatton CAFE. 

“This center reflects what is possible when our researchers and industry partners come together around a shared goal,” said Laura Stephenson, vice president for land-grant engagement and dean of Martin-Gatton CAFE. “We are grateful to Nutramax and the other partners whose support has created new opportunities to advance equine health and welfare, prepare students, and pursue research that may benefit both horses and people.”

A grand opening and open house will be held at the facility in April 2027 to showcase the research and impact of this industry-supported facility.

“The Sports Medicine Research Center will enable the faculty at the Gluck Equine Research Center to leverage their talent for the benefit of the horse and human by supporting translational musculoskeletal research,” said Brett Sponseller, DVM, PhD, chair of UK’s Department of Veterinary Science and director of the Gluck Center. “We are deeply appreciative of the support of the Gluck Equine Research Foundation and our donors.”

—Holly Wiemers, MA, APR, communications director, University of Kentucky Ag Equine Programs and Maxwell H Gluck Equine Research Center