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Dr. Jennifer Feiner VMD of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute Becomes 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ Quarantine Veterinarian
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Aug 18, 2010, 16:13
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As the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ approach, preparation has begun for the arrival of the equine athletes at the Kentucky Horse Park. All elements are being carefully examined, from travel, to the quarantine facility to the well-being of equine athletes. Dr. Jennifer Feiner VMD, of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, will be the veterinarian in charge of the quarantine, which will follow all protocols provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Dr. Feiner will utilize her experience with equine quarantine gained from her years as a veterinarian and as a quarantine veterinarian during the Hong Kong Olympics. Dr. Feiner and her team will play an important role in protecting equines from infectious diseases while they are competing at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™.
Since Dr. Feiner was young, she always knew that becoming a veterinarian was something she wanted to do. From owning horses to participating in pony club, to riding as an eventer, her interaction with equines led her to pursuing her specialty at the University of Pennsylvania.
Working at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Dr. Feiner works with the High Performance Sport Horses. She noted, "I became involved with the high performance discipline because as an eventer my goals are similar to the goals of high performance equestrians. I enjoy helping the clients keep their horses at the levels they are at or levels they want their horses to progress to."
Dr. Feiner's first international test event was in 2007. It was her first time working the quarantine under Dr. Keith Watkins. The quarantine was set-up at Hong Kong's Jockey Club. "Myself and another associate at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute spent three weeks setting up the quarantine in preparation for trialing the quarantine during a test event," explained Dr. Feiner. "Our daily routine required us to check temperatures of the horses, we checked for shipping fever and our main concern was equine influenza. At the same time that the Olympics were to be held, an outbreak in Australia had occurred of equine influenza, and in Florida herpes was an issue."
She continued, "What was interesting was the fact that the Equestrian Olympics took place in Hong Kong instead of China because China was never a disease-free quarantine zone. To add to the challenge of the quarantine was the fact that there was not adequate space in Hong Kong. Approximately 300 horses were on a 30-acre track. The Hong Kong horses also lived in a three-story building with inside ventilation. If a horse was introduced with an infectious disease the disease would spread rapidly. Therefore it was imperative that nothing infectious was brought into the Jockey Club or Hong Kong. The quarantine facility for the Olympic horses was a separate facility to the three-story building. There was distance between the Olympic horses and the horses of Hong Kong but our team continued our normal monitoring and precautions with the Olympic horses so that all equines remained safe."
During the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ (World Equestrian Games) Dr. Feiner will be in charge of the quarantine team for the USDA. Their responsibilities include monitoring the off loading of the horses from the plane, monitoring the horses in quarantine and checking their disease status the entire time during the World Equestrian Games. There will be approximately 600 horses that Dr. Feiner and her team will monitor. After 42 hours of being stabled at the quarantine the horses will be shipped to the Kentucky Horse Park. "I look forward to the World Equestrian Games and I am confident that myself and our team will be prepared for this event. We are comfortable with the entire process and the long flights because of our clinical experience flying client's horses back and forth to Europe, South America and Australasia."
Dr. Feiner makes her veterinarian home at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, KY. She loves being able to have a career she loves surrounded by a team she enjoys every day. She commented, "Every day I am doing something I love. If I was not taking care of someone else's horses I would be taking care of my own. I love the team and the atmosphere at Hagyard. There are so many people that are so knowledgeable and back you up all of the time; it is a wonderful practice to be a part of."
About Hagyard Equine Medical Institute:
Hagyard Equine Medical Institute of Lexington, KY, was founded in 1876. The practice, which is located directly across from the Kentucky Horse Park, is one of the oldest and largest equine veterinary practices in the world and is known for its excellence in veterinary medicine. The Hagyard Sport Horse Program, a specialized department at the practice, serves the nation's top sport horse athletes and brings the same level of excellent care to high performance horses that the institute has provided for the race horse and breeding industries for decades.
The facility at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute offers 13 Digital Radiology systems, 1.5 Tesla Siemens Open MRI, Nuclear Scintigraphy, a high speed treadmill, an on-site laboratory, an on-site pharmacy, full surgical services, 24-hour ambulance and emergency services, and Hyperbaric Medicine. The practice has performed veterinary medicine for more than 134 years and is currently composed of over 60 experienced veterinarians, with 12 board certifications in specialty areas of Medicine, Surgery, Critical Care, and Theriogenology.
For more information on the practice at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, please go to www.hagyard.com.
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