The care and nutrition of competition horses will be the focus of this year's Kentucky Equine Research (KER) Nutrition Conference, held this year on April 26-27 in Lexington, Ky.

The theme of this year's conference, "Feeding and Veterinary Management of the Sport Horse," is particularly relevant as Kentucky prepares for the World Equestrian Games, to be held in Lexington this fall.

In this age of scientific breakthroughs, management of elite equine athletes now includes equal measures of art and science. Although excellence and artistry in horsemanship will always be a necessary component in the success of top-flight horses, trusting relationships with equine health care professionals are pivotal for whole-body well-being. Specifically, modern management protocols for sport horses often hinge on two critical sciences: nutrition and veterinary care.

KER is dedicated to the health of all horses, and the organization maintains a vested interest in the nutritional management of high-performance horses. In addition to KER's in-house experts, the industry's top veterinary researchers will be on hand to discuss relevant health issues at this year's conference (see list below)