Equine Nutrition Short Course

The Equine Nutrition Short Course provides science-based, unbiased nutrition information to equine owners, business operators, industry professionals, and enthusiasts alike. The 9-week course includes fundamental nutrition knowledge for horses, ponies, mules, and donkeys. Beginning with fundamental nutrition concepts and building through nutrient requirements and specific needs for equine classes, this course will empower participants to make informed nutrition decisions for any equid!

2024 Equine Nutrition Short Course Dates and Topics

Online Sessions and Classroom

Each session will be held live on each date, but live participation is not required for course completion. All sessions will be recorded and posted in an online classroom. Recorded sessions, resources and the Question/Answer stream will be available on each topic for access throughout the program. Participants will have access to all resources in the online classroom for 1 year, including recorded sessions. E

The 2024 Equine Nutrition Short Course schedule is included below. The instructors may need to adjust the course schedule as needed during the program to accommodate guest speaker schedules.

All sessions run from 7:00-8:30pm Eastern time.

September 3: Course Welcome & Overview; Equine Digestive Tract
- Speakers: Dr. Jennie Ivey & Madeline Parr; University of Tennessee
September 10: Body Weight, Body & Muscle Condition; Nutrients and Requirements
- Speaker: Dr. Jennie Ivey; University of Tennessee
September 17: Feed Types; Reading the Feed Tag; Interpreting Forage Tests
- Speaker: Dr. Jennie Ivey; University of Tennessee
September 24: Growing, Breeding, and Lactating Equids & Case Studies
- Speaker: TBD
October 1: Supplements
- Speaker: Dr. Carey Williams, Rutgers University
October 8: Feeding Athletic Equids & Case Studies
- Speaker: Dr. Tania Cubitt; Performance Horse Nutrition
October 15: Metabolic Conditions and Overweight Equids & Case Studies
- Speaker: Dr. Amanda Adams; University of Kentucky
October 22: Senior & Starved Horses & Case Studies
- Dr. Nettie Liburt; Liburt Equine Nutritional Consulting and Dr. Jennie Ivey; University of Tennessee
October 29: Colic – Prevention & Nutritional Management Strategies
- Dr. Phil Jones; University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine

Meet the Speakers

Dr. Jennie Ivey holds a B.S. from Rutgers University, a M.S. and Ph.D. from West Virginia University, in equine nutrition and physiology, and is currently pursuing a M.S. in Communications from the University of Tennessee. Her research focuses on equine nutrition and welfare, specifically assessing emaciated equid physiology, refeeding, and metabolic function. Additionally, she studies public perception of management practices, carcass disposal and skeleton recovery. Dr. Ivey joined the University of Tennessee faculty in 2015 and has created 4 fee-based programs, 4 new undergraduate and 2 graduate courses, a new internationally accessed website. She has authored or co-authored 48 Extension publications, 11 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and delivered over 320 Extension talks on equine nutrition and management. Dr. Ivey has mentored 6 M.S. students, 3 USDA Scientific Exchange Fellows, 1 junior faculty member, and has served as the direct supervisor for 28 interns and researchers. Her nationally recognized equine Extension program is supported by over $800,000 in funding support. Dr. Ivey serves on the two Committees for the Equine Science Society, and as the Eastern National 4-H Horse Round-Up Hippology Committee Chair.

Learn more about Dr. Ivey

Madeline is currently pursuing her MS in equine nutrition under Dr. Ivey’s mentorship. Madeline’s research evaluates metabolic and genetic differences between emaciated and moderately conditioned horses to better understand how to refeed and recover starved horses.

Dr. Carey Williams’s research area is equine nutrition; specifically, how nutrition affects the performance of the equine athlete, and how pasture content affects horse’s metabolism of soluble carbohydrates and the gut microbiome. The majority of her work examines the effects of reducing oxidative stress and inflammation using various antioxidant supplements affects performance of the equine athlete. A second, and more recent, area of her research investigates the effects of different grazing systems for horses and the impact on the vegetation and the soil along with horse nutrition, health and microbiome.

Learn more about Dr. Williams

Dr. Amanda Adams is an Associate Professor at the Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky. She is also Adjunct faculty at Lincoln Memorial University, College of Veterinary Medicine, and has been recently honored as a Mars Equestrian^TM Fellow, specializing in the care of senior horses. As a lifelong horse woman, she was diverted from vet school by interest in equine research after internships with Boehringer Ingelheim during her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology obtained at Stephens College.

She then went on to complete her PhD in Veterinary Science with an emphasis in Equine Immunology from the University of Kentucky and then completed a Paul Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in areas of Immunology and Endocrinology at the Gluck Center. She then succeeded through the ranks at UK as Research Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor and now Associate Professor. Currently, her research program encompasses the study of equine immunology and endocrinology in the areas of aging, obesity/endocrine diseases/laminitis, and stress.

Her research program is world renown in that she has established and supports a unique herd of aged, PPID, obese/metabolic syndrome, insulin dysregulated horses that are maintained at the Gluck Center, for both basic and applied research to further our knowledge in these areas in order to improve the health and well-being of the aging horse population.

Her research program has been supported by Foundations (AQHA, MAF, Waltham-Buckeye Equine Grant), USDA-ARS, as well as the Pharmaceutical industry (Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Zoetis, Neogen) and Nutritional industry (Purina, Alltech, Mars).

She has given invited talks both Nationally and Internationally. She has published 40+ peer-reviewed publications, is the author of two book chapters and has trained a number of undergraduate students, graduate students, vet students, post-docs and visiting scientists.

Learn more about Dr. Adams

Dr. Liburt is a professional equine nutritionist with 17+ years’ experience utilizing scientific leadership skills relative to equine nutrition, field research, product development, associate, consumer and veterinary education. She has extensive expertise with senior horses, having studies the effects of aging on athletic fitness, endocrine signaling, and physiology. She is currently expanding technical expertise to include canine and feline nutrition.

Learn more about Dr. Liburt

Dr. Cubitt is a native of Queensland, Australia and completed her PhD from Virginia Tech studying nutritional effects on ovarian function. Currently, Dr. Cubitt holds a position as a nutrition consultant with Performance Horse Nutrition, a globally recognized company whose goal is to bring the latest and most innovative equine nutrition knowledge to horse owners around the world.

Learn more about Dr. Cubitt

Dr. Phil Jones received his DVM from The Ohio State University, completed an internship at Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala, Florida followed by a surgical residency at Kansas State University. Dr. Jones worked in private practice in Oklahoma where he also served as a veterinarian for the North American Sport Horse Federation Stallion Testing. He then spent 4 years at Scone Equine Hospital in New South Wales, Australia, the largest private practice in the Southern Hemisphere. After returning to America in 2016,Dr. Jones worked 3 years at Tryon Equine Hospital, the referral hospital for the 2018 World Equestrian Games. Dr. Jones brings extraordinary expertise in equine surgery and lameness and has unparalleled experience to apply to support veterinary practitioners in the region, horse owners, the equine industry, and will provide premier teaching and training.

Learn more about Dr. Jones

Registration Information

Open to all individuals over 15 years of age. Tennessee residence is not required for registration.

Registration Cost:

Early Bird Registration: $165 per person, open until August 13, 2024

Late Registration: $200 per person, open from August 14-September 10, 2024

Attendance is required in order to successfully complete the Equine Nutrition Short Course and receive incentive materials. Sessions will be recorded and posted along with activities to earn attendance credit if unable to attend sessions live. A minimum of 25 participants is required to hold the course.

The cost per person is NON-REFUNDABLE. The program fee includes access to all sessions and the online classrooms, one forage test, a certificate, and additional incentive materials.