Working in Kentucky, USA.......

Following my time working in Newmarket I went on to study once more, this time for a Masters degree in Equine Science at Aberystwyth University in Wales. The course was challenging and demanding and all consuming time wise, but very worth while in terms of horizons reached and the new input of people, friends and colleagues which ensued.

My greatest achievement to date came about through an external examiner at the university who was well placed to put me in contact with the Gluck Equine Research Centre in Lexington Kentucky. The centre forms part of the veterinary science department of the University of Kentucky and is especially active in the equine field!

I was incredibly pleased to win two scholarships to fund a 3 month trip to the USA from June to September 2010, which forms the topic of my dissertation work. My project is entitled 'A comparison of immune responses in aged horses given commercially available live or inactivated equine influenza (EI) vaccines' which essentially investigates the age-related decline in immune responses in horses which is associated with reduced responses to vaccination and susceptibility to equine influenza infection.

The chance to fly to the USA and be based at this centre of excellence in the field of equine veterinary medicine, was a dream come true. The whole experience was just incredible, from the welcome that was extended to me by all the staff, the facilities and colleagues that I worked with - to the horses and hands on veterinary field work which I was responsible for on a daily basis. I was also encouraged to help with PhD students work and assisted with a number of complex disease based studies. My laboratory skills improved in leaps and bounds due to the excellent tutorship and guidance provided.

Whilst in Kentucky I also maximised my time off by visiting as many of the equine facilities in the area, including world leading equine veterinary hospitals, race tracks and training centres, equine rehabilitation and nutrition centres and saw a number of competitions at the Kentucky Horse Park, site of the 2010 World Equestrian Games.