"Never listen too much to old advisors, but feel what you believe deep down, because you are the ones at the forefront." That was Ingvar Fredricson's message to the young doctors, in connection with his being appointed Jubilee Doctor at the Swedish University of Agriculture.
VETERINARY MEDICINE JUBILEE DOCTOR INGVAR FREDRICSON obtained his veterinary degree at the University of Veterinary Medicine in 1967 and defended his thesis "Equine joint kinematics and co-ordination - Photogrammetric methods involving high-speed cinematography" in 1972. At SLU, his research group developed a movement laboratory for high-speed filming of horses in fast tempos and a minicomputer-based image analysis system. The research resulted in horse-friendly trotting, galloping, and riding tracks nationally and internationally. In 1982, Ingvar Fredricson was appointed adjunct anatomy and histology professor specializing in biomechanics. After 23 years, Fredricson left the academy to, as CEO of the Flyinge Foundation, Sweden's breeding and sport horse center, during the years 1983–1998, develop a modern center for horse breeding, equestrian sports, research, and horsemanship training.
Equestrian sports' international governing body unveils its mission, "to lead, drive, and develop the highest standards of equine sport globally." FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez sets forth the plan in this YouTube video, urging everyone to act as guardians to ensure a "good life for horses." Learn more about the horse welfare plan at https://www.fei.org/stories/lifestyle/horse-human/guardians.
Flyinge hosted the Horse Welfare Summit, Northern Europe's largest event dedicated to horse welfare. The summit spanned two full days and featured lectures, clinics, and panel discussions led by prominent experts in the field.
"From the Air you breathe, to the ground beneath your feet, you deserve the very BEST. Your well-being is our inspiration."
Scholarship recipient Eva Skiöldebrand was part of a research team conducting a clinical study of a novel drug combination that was effective in treating osteoarthritis-associated lameness in horses and restoring joint tissue. The findings could have implications for treating ostearthritis in humans as well, since horses and humans are genetically very similar. The researchers hope to conduct a clinical trial of the drug treatment in humans next.