[October 15, 2013; Kennett Square, PA] – On Tuesday, November 5 at 6:30 p.m., Dr. Sue McDonnell will present a lecture on “Ten Important Observations of Health-Related Natural Horse Behavior” as part of the First Tuesday Lecture Series at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center, 382 West Street Road, Kennett Square, PA.
The series offers free lectures to the public on equine topics the first Tuesday of each month. The lectures take place in New Bolton Center’s Alumni Hall. Due to limited seating, reservations are recommended and can be made by contacting Barbara Belt at beltb@vet.upenn.edu.
Dr. McDonnell, an equine behavior specialist, maintains a semi-feral herd of ponies specifically for the study of their physiology and behavior in semi-natural conditions, living on the New Bolton Center campus. She will explain her top ten important observations regarding the behavior of horses living under natural social and environmental conditions. These observations are known or suspected to be important factors underlying the extraordinarily good health, fertility and freedom from injury of these horses compared with domestically managed horses. Dr. McDonnell hopes to inspire thoughtful discussion of how the health and welfare of domestic horses could be improved with simple, often inexpensive, management changes regarding these behavioral concepts.
Dr. McDonnell is an Adjunct Professor of Reproductive Behavior at New Bolton Center and is board-certified in Applied Animal Behavior. She is the founder and head of the Penn Vet Equine Behavior Program where her work includes clinical, research, and teaching activities focused on horse behavior.
About the First Tuesday Lecture Series
During the First Tuesday Lecture Series, faculty and clinicians at New Bolton Center share current information on topics of interest and relevance to horse owners and caregivers throughout the region. Many of the lectures highlight the advanced techniques performed by Penn Vet’s team of leading clinicians and the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities available to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients.
About Penn Vet
Penn Vet is a global leader in veterinary medicine education, research, and clinical care. Founded in 1884, Penn Vet is the only veterinary school developed in association with a medical school. The school is a proud member of the One Health Initiative, linking human, animal, and environmental health.
Penn Vet serves a diverse population of animals at its two campuses, which include extensive diagnostic and research laboratories. Ryan Hospital in Philadelphia provides care for dogs, cats, and other domestic/companion animals, seeing nearly 33,000 patients a year. New Bolton Center, Penn Vet’s large-animal hospital on nearly 700 acres in rural Kennett Square, PA, cares for horses and livestock/farm animals, treating 33,000 patients each year – 4,100 in the hospital and 29,000 at farms through the Field Service. In addition, New Bolton Center’s campus includes a swine center, working dairy, and poultry unit that provide valuable research for the agriculture industry.
For more information, visit
www.vet.upenn.edu.