New Zealand Equine Research Foundation

07/10/2026

A weekend of racing and some valuable networking between our Salient Trust Young Achiever 2026 recipient, Tyler Porteous, Jenny Kain, the much valued sponsor of the Salient Trust and Jo Starr from The NZ Horse Ambulance Trust.

Tyler was riding in the amateur races at the Te Aroha jumps meeting when Jo Starr caught up with her. Tyler ran 4th in Friday's race and 5th on Sunday, and has been working away on her PhD at Massey University.

The name of the Salient Trust is a nod to Salient, a chestnut thoroughbred by Headland II, the first foal of Sovereign Edition mare Kotirotere (1975). Salient gave the Kain family a lot of fun times, being placed or weighing in nearly every time he went to the races, including over the infamous steeplechase course and challenging hill at Ellerslie. The trust also supports the NZ Horse Ambulance Trust.

Applications for the Salient Trust Young Achiever close annually 31st January. Apply here: https://nzerf.org.nz/salient-trust-young-achiever-award

25/09/2026

21/09/2026

It's that time of year again! The grass is starting to grow, and the with it the risk of laminitis! This painful condition can be prevented or managed with diet and exercise, working in consultation with your local farrier and veterinarian to keep your horse or pony comfortable. Want to know more check out these valuable resources:

Equine Laminitis Booklet by Dr C Pollitt - available for download or a hardcopy on request:
https://nzerf.org.nz/equine-laminitis-nz

And this great video by Dr Paul Fraser:
https://youtu.be/FKZQs2d7Tx4?si=IlqsGFbzlSHOPQW1

Watch this very informative video on the causes and treatment of La...

28/08/2026

⏰ Applications close 30 September 2026!

The New Zealand Equine Research Foundation Massey Scholarship is closing soon — don't miss your chance to apply!

🐴 For: Fourth-year veterinary science students wanting to work in the equine industry 💰 Value: Up to $3,000 🏆 to assist with the costs of studying and gaining experience through the final year of study.

If you're passionate about horses and equine health, this is a fantastic opportunity to support your studies. Applications are made through the Massey student portal.

👉 Full details and eligibility: https://www.massey.ac.nz/study/scholarships-and-awards/new-zealand-equine-research-foundation-massey-scholarship/

horse

28/08/2026

Well done Lee!

06/08/2026

In July 2026, the NZ Equine Research Foundation celebrated its 50th anniversary with a luncheon and guest speakers, connecting with supporters both past and present. It was wonderful to catch up with old friends, scholarship recipients, and sponsors.

Without our sponsors and many supporters, this valuable work could not continue. Countless volunteer hours from our board members and the wider equine community keep everything ticking over at NZERF — from booklet production and the Bulletin publication, to assessing research and scholarship applications. There's a great team behind the Foundation, setting it up well for the future.

Here's a snippet of the action from the day.

A full compliment of photos and videos are available here: https://nzerf.org.nz/nzerf-history

14/07/2026

Tonight there is a webinar with more information about the National Equine Identification & Traceability system. Well worth joining if you want to learn more or have questions as there will be a Q & A

Register with the link below 👇
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OaqHPNwDT-WWtZ3qTCDuDA

💻JOIN US FOR THE NEIT INFO WEBINAR 💻

The purpose of this webinar is to help horse owners who are still unsure about the National Equine Identification & Traceability (NEIT) system better understand its purpose and how it will be managed.

📅When: Tuesday 14th July - 7pm
📍Where: Online via Zoom - you will need to register with the link and have the app downloaded on your device in advance.
Register using this link ➡ https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OaqHPNwDT-WWtZ3qTCDuDA

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) public consultation for improving equine identification is also currently live, with submissions closing on 28th July 2026. While the NEIT system is not a government initiative, what is being proposed does go hand in hand with it, so understanding why we have arrived at NEIT as a solution is important if you plan to make a submission.

Feel free to share this with other horse owners who are interested in learning more. There will be an opportunity for questions, and we have set aside ample time to answer as many of these as possible during the webinar. This webinar is being run by the New Zealand Equine Health Association, and is separate to the MPI webinars.

If you are unable to make this webinar, it will be recorded. MPI also have two public webinars planned for Thursday 16th July at 1:30pm and Tuesday 21st July at 5pm.

If you are having issues registering, please send us a message.

12/07/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Lee Morris, of EquibreedART, who is the recipient of the 2026 NZERF Travel Award.
Lee has had her work "New technology enables the successful non-invasive evaluation of embryo DNA from culture media" accepted for oral presentation, alongside two other presentations, at the International Symposium on Equine Embryo Transfer and Technology in Lexington, Kentucky in August this year.

We hope you have a great trip and look forward to hearing all about it on your return Lee!

06/07/2026

STRANGLES:
Looking for more information about Strangles?
Dr. Paul Fraser developed this great video to aid horse owners understanding of this topic:

📺 Watch NZERF's strangles video: nzerf.org.nz/videos 🔗
More info: nzeha.org.nz/strangles

02/07/2026

CONGRATULATIONS TO DR LUCY HOLDAWAY!
Lucy is one of two recipients of the Jonathan Hope Equine Veterinarian Scholarships.

Lucy graduated from Massey University in 2012, and then spent 6 years in mixed practice in Tokoroa. During this time she developed a keen interest in equine practice, particularly dentistry. Lucy has since joined Cambridge Equine Hospital in 2018, where she continues to pursue her passion of dentistry. She has attended two dental courses at EVDS in Grafton, Australia and became a Member of the ANZCVSc in Equine dentistry (2021).
Lucy is going to use the 2026 Jonathan Hope Scholarship to help fund attendance at a course at the Equine Dental Clinic in Dorset, England, for training on endodontics and restorative dentistry (aka fillings).
We are extremely grateful to Jonathan Hope for sponsoring this award, allowing our NZ vets to upskill in their chosen field.