KER Staff

Zoe Gillen is one of our 2023-2024 research interns and is from Meath, Ireland. Zoe attended CAFRE (Ulster University), where she graduated with an honour’s degree in equine management. She gained an interest in nutrition in her final year and completed her thesis on the use and knowledge of equine calming supplements. She spent the last year completing an internship with Watership Down/Kiltanan Castle Stud, where she spent six months doing sales prep with the yearlings and six months working with mares and foals.

Zoe has owned her own horses from the age of 8. After finishing school, she attended Grennan College, completing her BHS exams and qualifying as a riding instructor. She worked part-time at a riding school throughout her time in university. She also worked at a yard, breaking, producing and showing horses. As a pastime, she bought a Connemara mare and has successfully bred three foals.

Zoe would like to pursue a career in the field of equine nutrition and plans to complete a master’s degree in animal nutrition at the University of Glasgow next year. Having referenced Kentucky Equine Research many times during her studies, she is very excited to be a member of the internship program and get to be a part of our ongoing research studies. She hopes to increase her knowledge of equine nutrition and exercise physiology during her year with the program!