Penn State student wins second place at Equine Science Society Symposium

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State was well-represented at the recent 2023 Equine Science Society Symposium, with eight oral and poster presentations given by undergraduate and graduate students and faculty, the most that Penn State ever has had.

Additionally, Natalie D'Antonio, a recent animal science graduate, won second place out of 30 students in the undergraduate research competition.

“The conference was incredible,” said D’Antonio. “It provided a new perspective on learning in which you shift from sitting in a lecture hall to presenting your work and communicating with equine professionals.”

The symposium was hosted by Texas A&M University at the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center in Grapevine, Texas, June 6-9.

The Equine Science Society is an organization that connects equine professionals to share their research, ideas and expertise on a wide range of equine-related topics, including biosciences, exercise science, genetics, nutrition, reproductive physiology, production and management, and teaching and extension.

The society’s objectives include the promotion of quality research in equine science, conducting periodic symposia, cooperating with other organizations having similar or related interests, and establishing effective communication among researchers, teachers, extension and production personnel regarding equine science.

“It was incredible to have the opportunity to correspond with world-renowned researchers who I have cited in my studies at Penn State,” said D’Antonio.

Penn State students and faculty delivered presentations on a wide variety of topics including nutrition and ulcers, equine reproduction and foaling prediction, gastrointestinal health and fecal pH, and the impacts of ticks and tick-borne diseases on horses in Pennsylvania.

“The diversity of topics presented at the symposium reflect the breadth of the work that is performed at Penn State, in addition to the wide range of students’ interests,” said Burt Staniar, associate professor of animal science in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. He was also awarded the American Feed Industry Association’s Equine Nutrition Research Award at the symposium.

D’Antonio began working at the Penn State horse barns during her second year, and said she quickly discovered her interest in equine reproduction through gaining experience during foaling season.

Every spring, between 16 and 20 mares foal at the horse barns.

When D’Antonio initially approached Staniar, she said she intended to pursue a research project related to the foaling process.

Staniar presented D’Antonio with some research that a previous undergraduate student had begun working on. This research aimed to better predict parturition, or childbirth, in mares based on measurements of calcium and pH levels in pre-parturient mammary secretion.

D'Antonio continued to collect data on mares during foaling time at the horse barns over the following three years and formed a mathematical model to increase accuracy in predicting when mares will foal.

“I gained a greater appreciation for foaling prediction because of all the nights I have spent in the barn watching mares that never end up foaling,” said D’Antonio. “I think it is important to be able to know when a mare is going to give birth.”

D’Antonio said that presenting her research at the symposium was a blur.

“I don’t really remember giving my presentation,” D’Antonio said. “I relied on the work that I had been doing for almost three years and trusted myself to convey everything. It was a full-circle opportunity to share what I have learned and feel complete in my research.”

Currently, D’Antonio is continuing her studies at Long Island University of Veterinary Medicine, where she intends to continue her work in equine reproduction but says that she is open to other possibilities within her veterinary career — as long as she is able to continue to care for, and some day own, horses.

“D'Antonio has been very involved with the horse barns on campus,” said Staniar. “She really represents the hands-on experience undergraduate students can obtain here. She has worked with me in the lab in addition to working down at the animal facilities and helping with the daily running of that operation.”

According to D’Antonio, the possibilities for a student in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences are endless.

“Penn State has allowed me to explore all of my options when it comes to my career,” she said. “Penn State’s equine science program is unmatched, and my research is just a small example of the opportunities that it offers for student involvement, no matter what one’s area of interest is.”