AAEP Foundation grants top $700,000 for second consecutive year

The AAEP Foundation has approved $731,000 in grants for 28 programs and projects committed to the Foundation’s mission of improving the welfare of horses.

The Foundation Advisory Council at its summer meeting selected recipients from a group of applications and ongoing projects seeking continued Foundation support. These recommendations were ratified by the AAEP board of directors.

The disbursement includes support for 10 working equid welfare projects administered by “Equitarian” veterinarians throughout Central and South America, the Caribbean and the United States, along with funding for 55 scholarships to help students and recent graduates offset the financial strain of veterinary school.

Allocated funds are also earmarked for four disaster preparedness programs, including a large animal rescue course hosted by the Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine and disaster preparedness training offered by the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation.

Other projects receiving funds include essential skills workshops and convention programming for students as well as five equine research projects spearheaded by graduate students and/or residents.

Following are a list of grants by project area.

Disaster preparedness:

• Disaster preparedness training – LA County Animal Care Foundation
• Large Animal Rescue Course – Lincoln Memorial University CVM
• National Alliance of State Animal & Agricultural Emergency Annual Conference
• Noah’s Legacy Disaster Relief Fund – LA County Animal Care Foundation

Equine research projects:

• Equine platelet-derived peptides as novel disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs
• Identification and validation of alleles responsible for cardiac arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation
• Investigating equine endometrial signaling pathways using an organoid culture system
• Understanding the role of MHCI compatibility in equine allogenic mesenchymal stem cells
• Validation of an antemortem diagnostic test for equine neuroaxonal dystrophy (eNAD)

Scholarship awards for 2019:

• AAEP Past Presidents’ Research Fellowship
• Coyote Rock Ranch Scholarships
• EQUUS Foundation Research Fellowship
• Merck Animal Health Scholarships
• Oakwood Foundation Scholarships
• Race for Education Scholarships/Platinum Performance
• Zoetis Scholarships

Working equid welfare projects:

• Donkey Welfare Symposium
• Equitarian Young Leader Development Scholarships
• Guatemala Equitarian Project – 6 Communities
• Guatemala/Nicaragua – Texas Equitarian Project
• Haiti Veterinary Agent Training
• Honduras Equitarian Project
• Ngabe Indigenous Reserve, Costa Rica Equitarian Project
• Peru Equitarian Project Cusco Region – 5 Communities
• South Dakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation EI Project
• South Dakota Cheyenne River Indian Reservation EI Project

Other grants:

• AAEP Student Programs

• Essential Skills Workshop
• Student Chapter and Convention Programs

• Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover Symposium

The AAEP Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1994, serves as the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners to improve the welfare of horses. Since its inception, the Foundation has disbursed more than $6 million to fulfill its vital mission. For more information about the Foundation and its impact on horse welfare, visit aaepfoundation.org.