Revised:  11/18/2009

RSS Feed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tiffany J. Cody Public Relations Specialist Rutgers Equine Science Center 732-932-9419 cody@njaes.rutgers.edu

WHOA, Is That A Horse In My Science Class?

Equine Science Center revamps website with a youth-centered educational component

New Brunswick, N.J. – The Rutgers Equine Science Center will announce plans for a new interactive youth component to its website during the annual Equine Science Update on Tuesday, December 8, 2009. The website will blend “the old” with “the new” as Lord Nelson, a 36-year old American Quarter Horse, will serve as the figurehead guiding youth through the revamped website.

“We are pleased to present Lord Nelson as the ‘Professor Emeritus’ for our youth-centered website component,” says Dr. Karyn Malinowski, director of the Equine Science Center. Malinowski brought Lord Nelson to Rutgers University in 1978. Lord Nelson had a long, storied career at the university before retiring in 2000. He worked with university police as a mounted patrol horse and entertained thousands of university fans as the Scarlet Knights mascot. “Lord Nelson has witnessed the development of the Equine Science Center and experienced over 20 years of Rutgers University history. I cannot think of a more qualified candidate to help teach budding scientists and young horse enthusiasts about equine science,” added Malinowski.

The goal is to create an online classroom with Lord Nelson as the lead educator. Although the updated website will feature games and interactive elements, the primary focus will be equine science specifically developed for youth ages 10 - 13 years. Website modules include: equine healthcare and nutrition - covering scientific subjects such as types of feed, helping horses with diseases and disorders, and keeping horses healthy; equine exercise and physiology - discussing the characteristics of a horse in motion such as heart rate, temperature, and oxygen consumption; and horses and the environment - explaining how horses and humans fit harmoniously in a clean environment. Horses and the environment will be the first item in Lord Nelson’s plan book as he presents the “Scoop on Poop;” a lesson on animal waste management and the importance of manure as a valuable resource.

A formal announcement about the new youth component will come during the Equine Science Update, an annual event open to the public for the purpose of presenting the Center’s activities and initiatives, current research projects, and scientific work in advancing horse industry issues. Guests are invited to tour the Ryders Lane Farm, which includes meeting the current crop of weanlings in the Young Horse Teaching and Research Program, attend a high-speed equine treadmill demonstration, and enjoy supper at the Cook Campus Center.

For more information about the new youth component or the Equine Science Update, please email Tiffany Cody, PR Specialist, at cody@njaes.rutgers.edu or call 732-932-9419.