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VITALS™ Program Launched by Kentucky Horse Council

A new program called VITALS™ introduced by the Kentucky Horse Council (KHC), will assist horse owners in communicating basic health indicators to their veterinarians when illness, injury or disease is suspected.

The KHC Health and Welfare Committee, whose members include veterinarians and professionals in the animal health and welfare field, developed VITALS™ under the direction of Dr. T.D. Byars of Byars Equine Advisory. The program is quite simple: a stethoscope, thermometer, instructional poster, and information booklet comprise the VITALS™kit. "We want to equip every horse barn, from the private horse owner to the commercial operation, with a stethoscope and thermometer and the skills to use them," Byars explained.

Over the course of the summer the KHC weekly e-newsletter, "Kentucky Horse", will feature educational articles written by Byars on the assessment and interpretation of equine vital signs. These online articles will compliment the 8 page instructional booklet and laminated poster included with the kit.

"VITALS™is a link for responsible horse owners to connect with their veterinarians to develop an informed relationship to manage the health and well-being of their horses," asserted KHC Board President, Madelyn Millard. "All horse owners should talk to their veterinarians and learn how to use a stethoscope and assess vital signs properly."

Proceeds from the sale of VITALS™ support KHC health and welfare programs which include livestock investigation training for officials, health and welfare educational materials, geld vouchers for low income horse owners, and various other programs to improve the well-being of Kentucky horses.

VITALS™ kits can be purchased directly from the Kentucky Horse Council at www.kentuckyhorse.org/vitals/ or by calling 859-367-0509. Veterinarians interested in selling VITALS™ should contact Essie Rogers at erogers@kentuckyhorse.org or 859-367-0509.

VITALS™is made possible in part by sponsorship from Byars Equine Advisory and Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.

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