FEBRUARY 2023 THE RIDER /3


Equine Symposium Continued from Page 1


for human-horse interactions to ensure horse welfare was presented. Attendees left the event with a deeper understanding of this emerging topic. The event welcomed featured


speaker Nina Ekholm Fry from the Uni- versity of Denver and five guest speakers, including Dr. Katrina Merkies, Sarah- Michelle Senecal, Dr. Katy Schroeder, Hayley Edwards and Lynn Thomas, who focused on the roles horses have when in- corporated into human services. The organizers extend their thanks


to all who registered and attended, the in- dustry leaders who shared their expertise, event partners Ontario Equestrian and Equine Guelph, and sponsors KX94.7, Schleese Saddlery and Golden Horseshoe PEMF Equine Therapy. In lieu of speaker gifts, a donation


was made to the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA) to support their efforts in promoting challenge, achievement and empowerment for chil- dren and adults with disabilities through interacting with horses, while also pro- viding education and instructor certifica- tion.


The Equine Industry Symposium,


hosted by undergraduate students in the University of Guelph’s Bachelor of Bio- Resource Management (BBRM) - Equine Management degree program, aims to ex- pand our knowledge about horses and fa- cilitate crucial industry relationships. Planning is already underway for the 2023 symposium. Stay tuned to @equineindustry on Instagram and Face- book for information about next year’s event. If you missed this year’s event, the


sessions are now available on the BBRM Equine Management - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@bbrme- quinemanagement238/playlists For more information, please con-


tact: Eqevents@uoguelph.ca Dr. Judith Koenig, centre, a large animal clinician in


OVC’s Department of Clinical Studies is studying joint health in horses. Photo Credit: Dr. Judith Koenig


Easing The Pain - Stem Cell Therapy Shows Promise For Equine And Human Joint Injuries


January 04, 2023 Joint pain, once considered an ailment of aging,


is now recognized as one of the most common ortho- pedic conditions in the human and equine world. Researchers at the Ontario Veterinary College


(OVC), University of Guelph are studying joint health in horses and the regenerative possibilities of stem cell therapy to help unlock answers for our equine companions with the aim to ultimately translate those solutions to human health. OVC professors Drs. Thomas Koch, OVC PhD


2009, and Judith Koenig, OVC DVSc 2002, are bringing together clinical and research expertise to develop better diagnostic procedures and treatment possibilities for joint health. Osteoarthritis is degeneration of joint cartilage


and the underlying bone. It is the most common type of arthritis, estimated to impact four million Canadi- ans or one in seven adults, according to the Canadian Arthritis Society. While the condition was originally associated with the wear and tear on aging joints, it is now un-


derstood to be a result of the body’s failed attempt to repair damaged joint tissues when otherwise healthy tissue has been impacted by injury, extended heavy workloads or obesity. A quality-of-life disease in the human world, its


impact on equine athletes is no less devastating. “A horse with osteoarthritis is not unlike a run-


ner with the same condition,” says Koenig. “Horses are athletes, and as a translational model, they are very similar to humans, with the same type of forces acting on their joint cartilage when they exercise.” A large animal clinician in OVC’s Department


of Clinical Studies, Koenig has a passion for horses and for sports medicine, with a particular interest in lameness research and treatment. “Current treatments basically treat the symp-


toms of osteoarthritis,” notes Koenig. “Our aim is to find solutions that may modify or even improve the disease.” Koch, now a professor in OVC’s Department of


Biomedical Sciences, isolated mesenchymal stem cells from the umbilical cord blood of newborn foals. He has since focused his work on determining how these cells can be used to treat joint pain and damaged joint cartilage in horses and dogs with spontaneous disease. “Stem cells have shown promise in both man-


aging joint pain as well as delaying and slowing down joint cartilage damage,” says Koch, who is also founder and chief operating officer of eQcell, a vet- erinary regenerative medicine company. A new clinical trial at OVC, led by Koenig will


explore the efficacy of umbilical cord blood stem cells to treat mild joint pain. The study is currently enrolling horses who have been diagnosed with syn- ovitis or osteoarthritis of the carpus (knee) or fetlock (ankle) and will assess whether the treatment reduces inflammation in the injured area. Synovitis is inflammation of the connective tis-


sue that lines the inside of the joint, causing increased fluid production and inflammatory enzymes in the joint. The painful, debilitating condition can require long recovery times and often recurs due to incom- plete healing. Left untreated or compounded by con- tinuing exercise, it can damage the cartilage and bone, leading to osteoarthritis.


The journey to this point has involved a large


team both in the laboratory and in the clinic. Koenig and Koch have worked closely with OVC research colleagues and associates, as well as graduate and doctoral students who were attracted to the mentoring and training opportunities in this innovative transla- tional research space. “The similarities in post-traumatic osteoarthritis


between horses and humans hold the promise that any successful therapy in one species will also be effective in the other,” says Koch. “Our hope is that our equine therapy can inform and inspire similar therapies for humans with similar conditions.” Koch discussed osteoarthritis in horses in a re-


cent podcast: Understanding Osteoarthritis in Horses and Future Treatments| Episode 21 — Sport Horse Series


- podcast/episode21 www.sporthorseseries.com/


Dr. Thomas Koch is studying how stem cells can be used to treat joint pain and damaged joint cartilage in horses.


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