CSU Equine Sciences

10/06/2026

Our CSU Thoroughbred Retraining club is all settled in at the Kentucky Horse Park to compete in the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover!

We have four horses and eight students competing this year, so please stop by barn 6 to meet the teams and get to know our awesome students as they head into competition!

10/06/2026

Mark your calendars!

10/06/2026

Come on out to Adams Atkinson Arena on November 7th to learn all about horses!

Saddle Up With The Equine Experience!!!

On November 7th from 11am-3pm, the Equine Experience at CSU is a free family friendly educational event! Come learn about horses, participate in hands on learning and interactive booths, and even get to make and bring home your own pony!

This free, open to the public, and choose your own adventure event gives kids of all ages an up close horse experience and supports the CSU Equine Science program and its students!

10/03/2026

So proud of our CSU Horse Judging Team for finishing FIFTH at the American Paint Horse Association Horse Judging Championships!

🐏 ⭐️ 🐴

10/02/2026

We’re excited to see CSU Equine Sciences instructor Dr. Maggie Murphy featured in The Rocky Mountain Collegian!

Dr. Murphy brings together an impressive background in equine research, horse judging, horsemanship, and coaching to give CSU students an education that extends far beyond the classroom.

As an instructor and head coach of CSU Horse Judging Team and CSU Ranch Horse Team, Dr. Maggie uses both science and real-world horse experience to help students understand not just what we do with horses, but why we do it. Her research background - including work in equine nutrition, microbiomes, antimicrobial resistance, and even cloned horses—adds another unique dimension to her teaching and mentorship.

We’re proud to have faculty like Maggie who demonstrate how science, horsemanship, teaching, and hands-on experience can come together to prepare the next generation of equine professionals.

Check out the full feature from The Rocky Mountain Collegian:

Maggie Murphy, a Colorado State University equine science instructor, is bringing together long lists of accomplishments in two separate worlds to create a unified classroom experience. A three-time top-10 finalist at the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championship for horsemanship...

10/02/2026

Please join us on October 16th for the premiere of Under the Same Sky, a documentary about our Legends of Ranching program! This documentary was directed and produced by CSU Equine Sciences student Ellie Bush!

Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance: https://col.st/tv0no

We hope to see you and your family there!

09/28/2026

We’re excited to see CSU SOURCE highlighting undergraduate researcher Jocelyn Howard and her work in equine reproductive immunology!

Jocelyn’s research explores the complex relationship between the immune system and pregnancy in mares, helping us better understand how inflammation and immune regulation may influence reproductive success.

Opportunities like this are a great example of how CSU Equine Sciences students can get involved in hands-on research, contribute to meaningful scientific questions, and work alongside faculty and graduate researchers during their undergraduate careers.

Congratulations, Jocelyn, on having your research featured by CSU SOURCE!

Read the full story:

Through a clinical drug trial, students in the Department of Animal Sciences are examining ties between the immune system and pregnancy in horses. Their findings may apply to reproductive problems in other animals – including people.

09/23/2026

New research from CSU Equine Sciences!

A new study from the Fedorka Lab was published in July 2026 in Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology.

Led by Rebecca Crook, the CSU research team investigated how a mare’s immune system adapts during the earliest stages of pregnancy - and whether the type of semen used for breeding may influence that response.

A successful pregnancy requires the mare’s immune system to recognize the developing embryo while also learning to tolerate and support it. Researchers found that mares gradually increased immune signals associated with pregnancy tolerance after breeding. In contrast, mares that did not become pregnant had higher levels of a pro-inflammatory immune signal early in the breeding period.

Interestingly, mares bred with fresh semen also showed stronger expression of some immune signals associated with pregnancy tolerance compared with mares bred using cooled or frozen semen. This suggests that seminal plasma - the fluid portion of semen - may play an important role in preparing the mare’s immune system for pregnancy.

Congratulations to MS graduate Rebecca Crook and the CSU Equine Sciences research team on this work advancing our understanding of equine fertility and early pregnancy!

09/18/2026

Interested in learning more about our program? Come hang out with Dr. Maggie and Dr. Devan at the American Youth Horse Council's virtual equine college fair, happening this afternoon from 12 to 6 mountain time! Registration is free and you can join as your schedule allows! https://www.ayhc.com/virtual-fair

09/15/2026

Help support our Horse Judging team!

🐏 🌟