Gluck Center researchers had the opportunity to study inflammatory biomarkers in nonrace horses for the first time at the 2018 Tevis Cup endurance ride. | Photo: Courtesy Dr. Allen Page

Much of the research conducted by scientists at the University of Kentucky (UK) Gluck Equine Research Center, in Lexington, takes place in and around Central Kentucky—after all, it’s been dubbed the “Horse Capital of the World.” But sometimes the researchers get to take the show on the road.

Earlier this year, Allen Page, DVM, PhD, researcher and veterinarian at the Gluck Center, who works with David Horohov, PhD, director of the Gluck Center and chair of the Department of Veterinary Science, traveled to the 63rd annual Tevis Cup endurance ride in northern California for a research project.

Page, Horohov, and colleagues have spent the last several years looking at inflammation in racehorses and the utility of inflammatory marker testing to quantify fitness and possibly detect brewing injuries before they become serious. Inflammatory marker testing measures multiple genes responsible for the inflammatory response in horses. As the Thoroughbred industry works together to improve the safety and welfare of racehorses, Horohov and Page have seen the potential for a significant impact in this work through their research efforts, an ongoing project since 2012