NECC1200: Equine Clinical Studies
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
Date of Annual Report: 11/18/2013
Report Information
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2012 - 09/01/2013
Participants
Kimberly Cole, The Ohio State University
Nicholas Frank, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
Alfredo Sanchez, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
Jennifer Nadeau, University of Connecticut
Carlos Gradil, University of Massachusetts
Molly McCue, University of Minnesota
Ken McKeever, Rutgers University
Burt Staniar, Pennsylvania State University
Robert Causey, University of Maine
Cameron Faustman, University of Connecticut.
Brief Summary of Minutes
The first meeting of the Equine Clinical Studies Coordinating Committee was held on September 24 2013 at the Hilton Hotel, Stamford Connecticut, immediately prior to the annual meeting of the North East Association of Equine Practitioners.
Present were Kimberly Cole, Nicholas Frank, Alfredo Sanchez, Jenifer Nadeau, Carlos Gradil, Molly McCue, Ken McKeever, Burt Staniar and Robert Causey. Jim Weber and Anne Lichtenwalner were not able to attend, but wished to be kept informed and have filled out an Appendix E. Dr Cameron Faustman, the advisor to the committee, called in to provide a discussion of the role of the committee within the context of USDA's multi-state program and answered questions.
1. There was general agreement that a group of this type will be valuable in pooling resources and fostering collaborative research, but that focus is needed for the group to be successful. In addition, multistate collaborations need to be sincere and not a "one way street".
2. In reviewing the expertise of the group it became clear that metabolic disease, nutrition, exercise physiology, intestinal microbiololgy, equine genomics, reproduction and equine assisted activities/therapy were among disciplines strongly represented, and collaborations in some of these areas could lead to a multistate project or projects.
3. Those who worked with undergraduates described the high level of such students in major research projects, and that creation of student research teams, or research classes, were valuable ways to blend teaching and research responsibilities. Undergraduate students were described as the glue that can hold collaborators together. A down side was the high time committment necessary. However, undergraduate students often can become very attached to horses in research projects, and this can influence the type of research projects which may be undertaken.
4. Participants discussed the challenges they sometimes faced in having their projects approved by IACUC's. Providing point by point responses to concerns, and review of projects by an internal independent equine clinical studies review board that in turn reported to the IACUC were mentioned as ways for projects to earn approval.
5. The funding structure for mulitstate projects was discussed, with some doubt expressed about the extent to which USDA can fund equine research. The important role played by individual experiment stations in administering multistate research funds was emphasized. Grant writing by individual members was also an obvious way to support multistate projects. Private industry was identified as playing an important role in securing private funding through advisory boards, and in membership on committees such as this one. Involving EPSCOR states on multistate projects was suggested as a way to increase success of grant applications.
6. As the meeting drew to a close, action items were discussed. It was suggested this group should secure necessary "infrastructure" to foster collaboration, pooling of resources etc. This infrastructure could involve support for regular meetings, webspace, clerical support, and a central inventory of the groups assets, expertise and research interests. The collaborative atmosphere fostered by such infrastructure had given a competitive edge to the equine genomics group in securing funding when opportunities presented themselves. Therefore it was decided to investigate strategies by which the equine clinical studies coordinating committee could secure funding for such infrastructure, possibly through evolving into a multistate project. Causey agreed to discuss this possibility with Cameron Faustman and Fred Servello (UMaine Experiment Station Director), to circulate to this committee for comment an outline for a possible multistate proposal along those lines, and a spread sheet on which the group could summarize its expertise and resources.
Accomplishments
The Committee met for the first time on September 24, 2013 in Stamford Connecticut. Please see the Summary of the MInutes for further information.Publications
Impact Statements
Date of Annual Report: 11/16/2014
Report Information
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2013 - 09/01/2014
Participants
Staniar, Burt (wstaniar@psu.edu) - Pennsylvania State University;Sanchez, Alfredo (Alfredo.Sanchez@tufts.edu) - Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University;
McKeever, Kenneth (mckeever@AESOP.Rutgers.edu) - Rutgers University;
Williams, Carey (cwilliams@aesop.rutgers.edu) - Rutgers University;
Malinowski, Karyn (malinowski@aesop.rutgers.edu) - Rutgers University;
Gradil, Carlos (cgradil@vasci.umass.edu) - University of Massachusetts at Amherst;
Causey, Robert (robert.causey@umit.maine.edu) - University of Maine;
Coffin, Donna (donna.coffin@maine.edu) - University of Maine;
Brief Summary of Minutes
The Equine Clinical Studies Coordinating Committee meeting was hosted by the Equine Science Center at Rutgers University on Tuesday September 23, 2014. Present were Burt Staniar (Penn State), Alfredo Sanchez (Tufts), Ken McKeever (Rutgers), Carey Williams (Rutgers), Karyn Malinowski (Rutgers), Carlos Gradil (UMass), Robert Causey (UMaine), and Donna Coffin (UMaine).
1. New and potentially new members of the group since last year were noted. This included Andrew Waller of the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, UK; Donna Foulk of Penn State; Lori Warren of U of Florida; Donna Coffin at UMaine, and two new participants from Rutgers, Karyn Malinowski (Equine Science Center Director) and Carey Williams, who were both present.
2. The asset inventory which was circulated over the previous year was discussed. Members of the group control a total of approximately 300 horses. In addition, access to client owned animals for non-invasive studies was noted, enlarging the pool of animals. However, variation across university and privately owned herds may swamp treatment effects in many studies, so the usefulness of such a diverse group of animals may be limited. Access to biostatisticians/epidemiologists with experience with such large studies appeared desireable. It was noted that Rutgers had such experience represented in its faculty.
3. In discussing USDA funding for equine research, concerns were expressed, as last year, that USDA tends not to provide much funding for equine related projects. The point was made that with a stronger demonstration of equine industry/stakeholder need, USDA would be more likely to fund equine research. While reviewing ways to document such need, annual stakeholder meetings were discussed. Overall, it was felt that to address a large group in the setting of a stakeholder gathering was a potential way to obtain feed-back. However, using such meetings for the distribution of well-crafted surveys would probably be more effective in identifying areas of stakeholder concern. The group therefore decided that such a survey should be developed and distibuted to stakeholders in many states. To create such a survey was a task the group chose to undertrake. However, the need for approval by Internal Review Boards, possibly at each institution was noted.
4. In discussing potential projects which the group could effectively pursue, several members expressed interest in the intestinal biome, noting its relevance to all aspects of health, but especially equine gastrointestinal health. The point was made that the case for this line of investigation would be strengthened by development of a rigorous USDA Logic Model. This document could be used both internally at our respective institutions, and in communications with the USDA.
5. Two action items were therefore undertaken by the group as the major tasks for the remainder of the meeting. The first was development of a Logic Model for Equine Gastrointestinal Health. This discussion was led by Karyn Malinowski. Carey Williams volunteered to draft the document. The second action item was to develop a survey for distribution to equine stakeholders. Burt Staniar led this discussion in which potential questions were assembled. Burt Staniar volunteered to make an initial draft of the survey and post it on Google Drive, with the expectation that members of the group would make edits.
6. Prior to closing, other projects that members of the group were pursuing were briefly addressed. Robert Causey mentioned a collaboration with Andrew Waller in the surveillance of Streptococcus equi as part of the US/UK collaborative grants program in last year's USDA request for proposals, and in which this group could play a valuable role. A collaboration was also mentioned involving Jennifer Nadeau, Donna Foulk and Robert Causey with an application for a NEED-NERA planning grant underway entitled “Selective Deworming in Horses: A Multi State Study of its Practical and Economic Benefit”. Also noted was the existence of an ongoing successful equine USDA multistate project "Environmental Impacts of Equine Operations (NE 1041/NE 1441)", a project which was initiated by Rutgers.
7. After the meeting, Dr Ken McKeever provided a tour of the Equine Science Center Facilities at Rutgers, including the Equine Exercise Physiology lab and the equine treadmill.
Accomplishments
<B>Short term outcomes:</B> In part based on discussions at the 2013 meeting, expertise in non-ruminant nutrition is now considered a priority for new hires in Animal and Veterinary Sciences at UMaine.<P><br /> <B>Outputs:</B> An asset inventory of equine research resources at participating institutions.<P><br /> <B>Activities:</B> Initial drafts of Equine Gastrointestinal Health Logic Model, and Equine Stakeholder Needs Assessment drafted at 2014 meeting.<P><br /> <B>Milestones:</B> Distribution of Equine Stakeholder Survey, preliminary data collection and analysis to be completed by April 1, 2015. <br />Publications
Impact Statements
Date of Annual Report: 11/20/2015
Report Information
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2014 - 09/01/2015
Participants
Brief Summary of Minutes
MEETING SUMMARY, NECC1200, EQUINE CLINICAL STUDIES COORDINATING COMMITTEE, UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE, SEPTEMBER 22, 2015.The third meeting of the Equine Clinical Studies Coordinating Committee was hosted by Amy Biddle in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at the University of Delaware, at Newark, DE. Present were Amy Biddle, Ken McKeever, Carey Williams and Robert Causey. Joining by conference call were Karyn Malinowski (in the AM) and Donna Coffin (in the PM). Anne Lichtenwalner audited the discussion. The meeting opened with a welcome from Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mark Rieger, and Professor and Chair of Animal and Food Sciences, Limin Kung.
The group reviewed the results of the survey of horse owners regarding their needs for gastrointestinal research. Horse owners ranked gastrointestinal health highly, and supported further research in the area. It was decided that the information gained from the survey was valuable and should be submitted to the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science as a short communication. In discussing the use of probiotics described in the survey, the point was made that veterinarians also would benefit from further information on the gut microbiome.
Amy Biddle then delivered an historical review of research on the equine intestinal microbiome. Her presentation reviewed studies of gut microbial communities from the earliest biochemical studies several decades ago to the bioinformatics of the present day. The take-home message was that while we have extensive genomic data on gut microflora, there is still a need to understand the biochemical processes in different microbial communities. This will be necessary to understand the pathophysiology of diseases which result from disturbances of gut microflora.
Dr Biddle then went on to describe her equine microbiome project
It was suggested that a NIFA conference grant be submitted for an Equine Microbiome conference in 2017. This would include programs for scientists and possibly practicing veterinarians, held in conjunction with another conference. Suggested as possible venues were the Hambletonian, The Equine Science Society annual symposium (June 2017), or the Mid-Atlantic Nutrition conference March 23-24 2017.
In discussing the next meeting of this committee, it was agreed to hold it at the University of Maine on Sept 16, 2016, possibly in conjunction with a CE program for local veterinarians and horse owners.
Accomplishments
Publications
Impact Statements
Date of Annual Report: 11/21/2016
Report Information
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2015 - 09/30/2016
Participants
Brief Summary of Minutes
The fourth meeting of the Equine Clinical Studies Coordinating Committee was held at UMaine's J.F. Witter Teaching and Research Center on Friday 16th September 2016. Present were Cassie Uricchio (University of Massachusetts), Carey Williams (Rutgers University), Alfredo Sanchez (Tufts-Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine), Donna Coffin (University of Maine), Juan Romero (University of Maine), Anne Lichtenwalner (University of Maine) and Robert Causey (University of Maine). Calling in were Ken Mckeever (Rutgers University), Karyn Malinowski (Rutgers University), Carissa Wickens (University of Florida) and Amy Biddle (University of Delaware).
The meeting began with a review of the Equine Industry Needs Assessment Survey by Donna Coffin, which was presented at the National Association of Agricultural Extension Agents meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas. In addition, the conference grant submission (Making Clinical Sense of the Equine Microbiome) was reviewed. A final decision on the grant is to be expected in February.
The discussion then moved to the primary goal of the meeting, further development of an equine microbiome multistate proposal. The draft proposal was prepared in advance by Amy Biddle, and placed on Google Drive for review.
The need for this work was based on the growing recognition of the microbiome's role in all aspects of human and animal health. The horse is an agriculturally important animal, with over 1.2 million horses in the North East and Mid-Atlantic states. Our needs assessment survey had shown the importance of gastrointestinal issues for horse owners. However, there appears to be a lack of information on usage of nutritional supplements and probiotics
.
The work would have the following impacts:
1. Establishment of evidence based best feeding practices focusing on improving nutrient access for specific equine populations.
2. Development of evidence based best management practices focusing on improving gut health for specific equine populations.
3. Deeper understanding of challenging gut health issues leading to targeted therapeutics.
After extensive discussion the following objectives were drafted for the proposal:
1. To understand the mechanisms of the equine gut microbiome in nutrient utilization, in order to improve nutritional performance of targeted populations of horses.
2. To identify management practices that foster improved equine gut health.
3. To determine the effect of supplements, probiotics and prebiotics on the equine microbiome
4. To characterize interactions associated with growth, health and disease states, enabling deeper understanding of the horse-microbiome conversation, and leading to the development of targeted therapeutics.
5. To characterize anatomical features of the micorbiome in the skin, uterus, gut, mucus, etc.
6. To determine the effects of the microbiome on the environment.
7. To determine the roll of the animal microbiome on human health due to companion and farm animal contact.
8. To develop a means of determining the knowledge of equine farmers/owners on the equine microbiome and the need for additional outreach programs.
The details of the methods will be developed through follow up meetings by conference call. A follow up call to determine the continuance of this committee will take place towards the end of 2016.
Accomplishments
<p><strong>Grants:</strong></p><br /> <p><strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">(Pending) Causey R, Biddle A, Williams C, Burk A. Making Clinical Sense of the Equine Microbiome. US Dept of Agriculture 2016. $49,050</span></strong></p><br /> <p><strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">(Awarded) Alexandria Poulin, Robert Causey. Competitively awarded PhD Graduate Assistantship. School of Food and Agriculture. 3 years. 2016. $60,000.</span></strong> </p><br /> <p><strong>Presentations:</strong></p><br /> <p>Maintaining your Horse Pasture. September 17, 2016. J. F. Witter Teaching and Research Center.</p><br /> <p> Williams C. Essentials of Equine Pasture Management</p><br /> <p> Uricchio C. Using dry lots and sacrifice areas to better manage your pastures</p><br /> <p> Sanchez AEquine medical conditions associated with pasture management</p><br /> <p>Coffin, D., R.Causey, B. Staniar, C. Williams, K. McKeever, K. Malinowksi, C. Gradil, J. Nadeau, A. Lichtenwalner. Equine Owners Research and Education Needs to Improve Gastro-Intestinal (GI) Health in their Equines. Presentation at National Association of County Agriculture Agents, Little Rock AK, 2016</p><br /> <p><strong>Meetings:</strong></p><br /> <p><strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">North East Equine Clinical Studies Coordinating Committee Annual Meeting [NECC1200] September 16, 2016. J.F. Witter Teaching and Research Center. Development of an equine microbiome multistate proposal. </span></strong></p>Publications
Impact Statements
- The University of Maine is currently undergoing a renovation of its equine paddock systems to better reflect best management practices, based on input received from the September 2016 meeting of NECC1200 at the J. F. Witter Center.