Emerging Equine Science

This book is a compilation of papers and posters given at a combined meeting of the British Society of Animal Science and the British Grasslands Society held at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, UK in September 2003. The forward written by HRH the Princess Royal recognizes the importance of the Equine Industry in the UK and acknowledges the need for a better understanding of equine husbandry and health management. The book includes 2 parts. The first part is comprised of 16 chapters, essentially review papers. The second part includes 25 research posters. Chapters 1–3 are devoted to muscle physiology and locomotion and provide a concise, though somewhat superficial coverage, of muscle fiber types and response to exercise. Chapters 4, 7, and 14 are reviews of respiratory physiology and pathophysiology with specific reference to ventilation and inflammatory markers. Chapters 5 and 6 are concerned with stereotypic behavior. Chapters 8–10 provide brief coverage of modern breeding technologies, including a paper on the mapping of the gray gene in Thoroughbreds. With the exception of Chapter 16 which provides an excellent review of the challenges of attracting funding for equine events, the remaining chapters provide a review of gastrointestinal physiology and nutrition. Overall, these chapters are well written, well referenced and provide a good starting point for the novice. The second part of the book is comprised of 25 research posters, most of which describe research in nutrition and behavior. Behavior posters emphasize stereotypy. One notable poster details the use of install mirrors as in aid in the management of stereotypic behaviors. This is more of a “proceedings” than a book. Animal science students and veterinary students interested in either equine nutrition or stereotypic behavior will find it a useful introduction. Experienced nutritionists and behaviorists would appreciate the poster section.