3rd International Equitation Science Symposium
This conference will take place Monday and Tuesday, August 13 & 14,
2007; the inaugural meeting of our newly founded society will take
place on the morning of Wednesday, August 15
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI USA
First Announcement – Call for Abstracts
Invitation
Dear colleagues,
We cordially invite you to the 3rd International Equitation Science Symposium
which will be held on Monday, August 13th and Tuesday, August 14th, 2007 at the
Kellogg Center at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
We intend to make your experience a stimulating and memorable event from
beginning to end. The latest research in horse behavior and welfare applied to
equitation will be presented, as well as a very interesting practical session. The
symposium should be the meeting place for all involved in the horse world,
making a bridge between academia and practice.
In addition to the Symposium you are invited to experience the scenery of our
“Great Lakes state” and, perhaps enjoy other sites throughout the Midwest of the
United States. Please see www.michigan.org and click on “Information for
travelers.” We are only 3 ½ hours by car to the beautiful Upper Peninsula
http://www.uptravel.com/ and only 1 ¾ hours to lovely Lake Michigan
http://www.great-lakes.net/lakes/michigan.html. We are approximately a 4 hour
drive from Chicago http://www.choosechicago.com/ and approximately a 6 hour
drive from the Kentucky Horse Park http://www.kyhorsepark.com/.
Symposium Venue
The majority of the conference will be held at the Kellogg Center at Michigan
State University http://www.kelloggcenter.com/ with a practical session being
held at the MSU Horse Teaching & Research Center
http://www.msuarabians.com/.
**More information regarding room reservations and conference registration will
be forthcoming.
How to get to MSU
We are a 15 minute drive from the Capital City Airport (LAN) and a 1 ½ hour
drive from the closest international airport, Detroit Metropolitan airport (DTW).
Shuttles can be arranged between the Capital City Airport and the Kellogg Center.
Car rental opportunities from the Detroit Metropolitan airport are plentiful. (We
will continue to add more detailed information as the conference approaches.)
Preliminary Scientific Program
The scientific program will include oral and poster sessions, as well as a practical
session.
The primary topics that were voted as priority areas by the attendees of IESS
2006 are as follows:
1. the evaluation of training methods via principles of learning theory
2. how to promote education of riders/trainers
3. evaluation of the communication between rider and horse and vice versa
4. assessment of methods for extinguishing under-saddle behavioral problems
(e.g. bucking, rearing)
5. measurement of learned helplessness in the horse
6. assessment of stress in horses trained by various methods and undergoing
different competition regimens
7. welfare assessment of horses outside of their training and competition
regimens (e.g. an examination of the impact of stabling/turn out/social
interaction on the horse’s welfare).
Time Table Tentative program:
Monday morning, August 13: 8:00-8:45 am Registration
8:45-9:00 Opening of Symposium & Introductory
Remarks
9:00-9:30 Key note presenter
9:30-9:45 Oral presentation (12 min + 3 min
questions)
9:45-10:00 Oral presentation
10:00-11:00 Poster Session & Coffee break
11:00-1:15 Oral presentation
11:15-11:30 Oral presentation
11:30-11:45 Oral presentation
11:45-12:00 Oral presentation
12:00-1:30 Lunch
Monday afternoon, August 13: Tour and demonstration of equine biomechanics
at the Mary Anne McPhail Center (http://cvm.msu.edu/dressage/) Buses will
shuttle participants from the Kellogg Center to the McPhail Center.
Monday late afternoon, August 13: Tour and practical demonstration at the MSU
Horse Teaching and Research Center http://www.msuarabians.com/ Buses will
shuttle participants from the McPhail Center to the Horse Center.
Monday evening, August 13: Optional – Catered Dinner at the Horse Center;
Cash bar
Tuesday morning, August 14: 8:30-9:00 Key note presenter
9:00-9:15 Oral presentation
9:15-9:30 Oral presentation
9:30-9:45 Oral presentation
9:45-10:00 Oral presentation
10:00-11:00 Poster Session & Coffee Break
11:00-11:15 Oral presentation
11:15-11:30 Oral presentation
11:30-11:45 Oral presentation
11:45-12:00 Oral presentation
12:00-1:30 Lunch
1:30-2:00 Keynote presenter
2:00-2:15 Oral presentation
2:15-3:00 Oral presentation
3:00-3:30 Poster Session & Coffee Break
3:30-4:30 Where next? Priorities for research
4:30-5:00 Closing of IESS 2007
Tuesday evening, August 14: Optional – Social activity
Wednesday morning, August 15: 1st Annual Meeting of the newly
formed society for International Equitation Science
General information
Language
The language of the symposium will be English.
We are inviting submission of abstracts for oral and poster
presentations based on original research.
Instruction for Abstracts
Abstracts must be written in English and not exceed 300 words, excluding title,
authors' name and addresses. Use an MS Word-compatible word processing
program. Please use Times New Roman 12 pt, single spaced in the main text.
Titles of abstracts, name(s) and institution address(es) should be centered. Write
the title of the presentation on the first line, the authors' names on the second
line, the addresses on the next line (or more), followed by the main text. Please
insert a blank line in between all parts of the abstract, e.g. before title and
authors' names. A blank line should precede the text. The text should outline
clearly and concisely the main findings or premise without reference to other
text. The abstract will be used as a basis for selection of presenters, therefore the
abstract needs to be a carefully written summary such that it is understandable
on its own, without reference to the full text. It should begin with a clear
statement of the objective of the paper and end by highlighting important
conclusions.
SAMPLE ABSTRACT
Variations in the timing of reinforcement as a training technique for
foals (Equus caballus).
Amanda K Warren-Smith1,3*, Andrew N McLean2, Helen I Nicol1 and Paul D
McGreevy3
1*Faculty of Rural Management, University of Sydney, PO Box 883, Orange,
NSW, 2800.
2Australian Equine Behaviour Centre, 730 Colonbinane Rd, Broadford, Vic.,
3658.
3Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006.
A horse’s response to training may be influenced by its learning ability. Handling
and riding horses can expose both handler and horse to a considerable risk of
injury but this risk can be reduced by employing correct handling procedures that
can facilitate learning in horses…
Deadline for Submissions
The deadline for submission of abstracts is May 1st, 2007. A link for abstract
submission will be available after the first of the year. Accepted contributed oral
presentations will be of 12 minutes duration plus three minutes for questions.
For further information about the conference please contact:
Dr. Camie Heleski
Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University
1250 Anthony Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
517/355-8427, heleski@msu.edu
For further information about IESS please contact Dr. Andrew McLean, IESS
Communications Officer, andrewmclean@aebc.com.au