In the summer of 2013, longtime horse owner and then graduate student Kristen Halverson called the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center seeking advice and questions she had regarding equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a neurologic disease caused by the parasite Sarcocystis neurona, which inflicted her off-track Thoroughbred Nino Tempo.

“A very kind doctor from your organization helped me answer a myriad of questions regarding EPM and the necessary steps to enhance treatment,” Halverson said of her conversation with Dan Howe, PhD, professor at the Gluck Center.

Halverson later wrote a children’s book, The Tale of Josephine Rose: A Horse’s Magical Neigh, which was published in February by Dog Ear Publishing. She is donating a portion of all book proceeds to Howe’s research program.

“Kristen’s sense of benevolence is why the Gluck Center exists and what allows our faculty, staff, and students to succeed in helping horses and horse owners,” Howe said