The Rutgers Equine Science Center (ESC) hosted an Open House on July 11 for more than 100 youth participating in the 4-H Urban Youth Science Day. About 30 teens from the Public Health Research Institute Center – International Center for Public Health at UMDNJ were also in attendance for an engaging morning of equine science. ESC Director, Karyn Malinowski, shared information about why horses are an area of study at Rutgers University. Carey Williams (Animal Sciences) conducted a demonstration of the high-speed equine exercise physiology treadmill with research mare, Snowdrift, as the star of the show. Following the demo, the youth were divided into small groups of three to tour the research facility which included a discussion on data analysis and interpreting pre-and post- exercise blood samples in the equine science laboratory by Ryan Avenatti and Danielle Smarsh (graduate students, Animal Sciences).
On July 25, the Center held a similar Open House program for the Harness Horse Youth Foundation camp, which is comprised of approximately a dozen teens. The School’s Administrative Staff Community Initiative Committee also utilized the open house as an opportunity for engaging staff; nineteen staff members from the School attended the event. Guests at the equine research lab learned about the complex and diverse horse industry in New Jersey, equine exercise physiology, horse healthcare and nutrition, and horses and the environment. Using the fully articulated equine skeleton, RU Wish Bone, campers also learned about the functioning anatomy of the horse. The ESC will host its final Open House for the year on December 11.
4-H youth participants are flanked, on left, by Ben Hollingsworth, Harness Horse Youth Foundation Summer Intern, and Carey Williams, on right.
