Horse hits the treadmill for Pony Club visitors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCu_BTl3D78

A group of international pony club riders saw a horse put through its paces on the University’s equine treadmill this week as part of a tour of the vet clinic.

The riders, from countries Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, the United States and New Zealand, were taken through the Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences as part of their programme at the annual inter-Pacific Pony Club exchange.

They are based in Levin this week and will spend next week in Cambridge and compete in an international friendly competition.

Equine programme director Dr Chris Rogers says the tour was an opportunity for the visiting riders to see the size and scope of the equine programme and facilities at the Manawatu campus. The international riders commented on the extensive integration of equestrian sport within the academic and clinical programmes at Massey University.

“We showed them through the vet clinic, which includes surgical, imaging and rehabilitative services for horses, and had them sit in on some of the specialist equine lectures,” Dr Rogers says. “Massey also has an international-size equestrian arena that allows our Team Massey riders to keep their horses on campus.”

The treadmill is used for clinical work as well as teaching and research, and allows equine researchers to study a horse’s gait in a controlled environment.