Ensuring a bright future for equine research

The following is a white paper released by the Equine Research Coordination Group (ERCG), a group comprised of researchers and organizations that support equine research. Participants in the ERCG include equine foundations and multiple university research representatives. The press release announcing this white paper was published April 19 at www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=9424.

In the past two decades, huge advances have been made in our understanding of many equine diseases. But we have a lot more to learn before we can truly improve the way many of these diseases are prevented or treated. One simply needs to consider the impact that laminitis had on Barbaro, a horse who captured everyone’s imagination, or the effect that Equine Herpesvirus-I infections have had up and down the East Coast in the past few months. While these diseases might be the most glaringly obvious at this time, they are not necessarily the most devastating to horses or the equine industry. Colic, osteoarthritis, neonatal septicemia, infertility, respiratory disease, laryngeal hemiplegia . . . the list of diseases needing attention goes on and on