Keeping horses sound is one of the most difficult and important aspects of horse sport. Given that horses have an uncanny ability to injure themselves, at some point every rider or horse owner will need their veterinarian to conduct a lameness evaluation.

On November 21 to 23, 2023, students in the Bachelor of Bio-Resource Management (BBRM), Equine Management program at the University of Guelph in Ontario hosted their eighth annual Equine Industry Symposium. The theme of the free virtual event was “Stable Solutions.”

Helping others live their horse-filled dreams - “I do everything I can to make sure that anybody that has a dream or a wish to be around horses gets that opportunity,” — Brian Tropea.

Ever wondered if ponies can interpret human emotions through facial expressions? While humans may instinctively avoid someone with a furrowed brow, how well do horses understand our feelings? A recent study by Dr. Katrina Merkies, an associate professor and researcher at the University of Guelph, set out to answer this intriguing question. Dr. Merkies and her team conducted an experiment involving 20 lesson ponies and a group of skilled actors to determine whether ponies could distinguish between happy, sad, angry, and neutral human facial expressions.