2022 FHANA Research Grant Award for University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center

The FHANA Board of Directors has announced the award of the 2022 FHANA Research Grant to the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center for their research into the microbiota’s role in complications after colic surgery and in recurrent colic.

Health and welfare of Friesian horses

The $10,000 grant is the first of FHANA’s Research Grant Program, which is designed to support equine veterinarians in the USA or Canada who are in programs that will advance their research skills and improve the health and welfare of Friesian horses. The Research Grant Program was developed to support the KFPS and of course FHANA’s strategic goal to contribute to genetic research and equine wellness for the Friesian horse.

Colic and complications

The purpose of the study will be to research on the role of the microbiota in horses experiencing complications from colic using admission and discharge fecal samples from horses presenting with colic. The researchers will examine the association between the microbiota, complications following colic surgery, and recurrence of colic. The results of this pilot study will inform larger follow-up studies investigating these important areas.

Trojan horse

“We expect to show that horses experiencing more complicated recoveries from colic surgery have more disrupted microbiota than horses with uncomplicated recoveries, thus bolstering the “Trojan horse” theory of postoperative complications and colic recurrence. If this association can be demonstrated, interventions such as transfaunation, probiotic supplementation, or limiting the duration of perioperative antimicrobial regimens can be investigated as ways to prevent post-operative complications and recurrence of colic.”

The research team anticipates their analysis will be complete by January 1st, 2023 and expect to publish their final report by April 30, 2023.

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