Saturday 19 April 2014

Let's get Dr. Finno to Clifden 19 August 2014

The upcoming meeting at which Dr Finno will present the results of the genetic research into HWSS is exciting progress.   As with everything, progress comes at a cost.  

The Connemara Pony Research Group is an informal collection of people who came together in an effort to find the cause of HWSS. The research undertaken by the Bannasch Laboratory on the group's behalf was funded by member's donations, a grant from the American Connemara Pony Society Foundation and  many public donations made to the Connemara DNA Research Fund, Centre for Equine Health, University of California Davis, USA.

Knowing that the result of the research and genetic test development is of importance to every Connemara pony owner or breeder, the decision was made to bring Dr Finno to Ireland to present the results of the research.  The presentation will be of value and interest to veterinarians, farriers and Connemara pony breeders from across the world, many of whom will be attending 2014 Clifden Show Week and Sales.

The CPBS and the ICCPS were offered the opportunity to support this event at no monetary cost to either organisation.  However neither of these two organisations has replied to their invitation.

We need to raise funds to pay the costs of getting Dr Finno to Ireland, her accommodation in Ireland, and associated costs of presenting this meeting.   An application for funding support was made to Horse Sport Ireland but as the result of their own funding cuts, they were unable to help.

We need your help to raise the funds.

Should any organisation, business or private individual wish to be a named sponsor for this event, then please contact the group  email

Several methods are available to make donations to the Dr Finno Travel Fund :
  • SEPA-banktransfer. Free of charge!
    Recipient: B. Hellwig Connemara Pony Research Group
    IBAN: DE35 5605 1790 0101 2347 71
    BIC: MALADE51SIM
    Bank name: KSK Rhein-Hunsrueck
  • GoFundMe (+paypal). 7.9% +35c will be taken from every donation



The total donated funds will be updated on the barometer below.  

Sunday 27 April.2014 

Provided by
We are extremely delighted with the Euro500 donated by the  German Connemara Pony Association (Connemara Pony Interessengemeinschaft) who have been great supporters of the research project from the outset and who are also managing the accounts on behalf of the Connemara Pony Research Group.  Euro180 has been donated by several German breeders.



Provided by
Fund-Raising-Ideas-Center.com



Surplus Funds will be donated to:
Connemara DNA Research, 
Centre for Equine Health,
UC Davis,
USA.


Saturday 12 April 2014

Exciting News!!!!

The Connemara Pony Research Group is very proud to be able to announce that Dr Carrie Finno will be giving a public presentation on the results of the HWSS research at a meeting in Clifden on 19th August 2014.

The meeting venue is
Vickers Function Room
The Town Square
Clifden.

1.30pm
Tuesday 19 August 2014

Dr. Carrie Finno received her DVM from the University of Minnesota (UMN) in 2004. She completed an internship in large animal medicine and surgery at UMN in 2005 and then went on to complete a 3-year residency in large animal internal medicine at the University of California, Davis (UCD), culminating in board-certification in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Finno elected to pursue a career in equine genetic research and obtained her PhD under the guidance of Dr. Danika Bannasch in 2012 from UCD. She then moved back to UMN and completed a 1-year post-doctorate fellowship with Drs. Stephanie Valberg and Jim Mickelson. Dr. Finno is currently an assistant professor at UMN. Dr. Finno's research is focused on equine genetic diseases, including Hoof Wall Separation Syndrome (HWSS) and equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (NAD/EDM), equine shivers, myofibrillar myopathy and immune-mediated myositis. In conjunction with the equine studies, she is researching the interaction of vitamin E and neural development, using a well-established mouse model.


After the conclusion of the presentation by Dr Finno, the Connemara Pony Research Group is equally delighted to be able announce a presentation by Ray Knightley.   Ray will be addressing the practical shoeing and hoof care issues associated with the HWSS affected hoof.



Ray Knightley grew up in Suffolk, Great Britain where he rode until aged 14. In 1987 Ray was living in Germany where he made the decision to train as a farrier. His farrier career now spans 26 years. Ray is a registered State farrier and a certified Euro farrier. He specialises in the area of remedial hoof care. As such Ray has become one of the 'go to' people in Europe for ponies affected by hoof wall separation syndrome (HWSS). He is presently working on developing new techniques which, it is hoped, will provide better quality of life for HWSS affected ponies. Ray brings to this meeting extensive experience in in caring for HWSS affected feet.




The Connemara Pony Research Group extends to all  interested persons, a cordial invitation to attend this meeting.







The Town Square, ClifdenThe Town Square, ClifdenThe Town Square, Clifden
The Town Square, Clifden