In a world of research, success is often the result of a team effort. Dr. Stephanie Valberg and Dr. Joe D. Pagan of Kentucky Equine Research have had a longstanding collaboration spanning over 30 years that has brought the horse industry progressive and scientifically substantiated products to treat muscle disorders in horses.

The collaboration’s origins date back to 1985 at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences where the pair were doing post-doctoral work in equine exercise physiology. While Pagan went on to build the company Kentucky Equine Research, Dr. Valberg pursued an academic career first at the University of California, followed by the University of Minnesota, and finally, Michigan State University. Through her clinical and research work, Dr. Valberg discovered the basis for several muscle disorders including polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM), recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER), myosin heavy chain myopathy, and myofibrillar myopathy (MFM).

Dr. Valberg reasoned that a diet low in starch and sugar might benefit PSSM and RER horses since PSSM was the result of too much sugar in muscle, and RER is common in “hot” horses. She reached out to Dr. Pagan, who at that time had a thriving business and reputation for developing scientifically-based feeds. Using the herds of horses with PSSM and RER Dr. Valberg had established at the University of Minnesota, the two devised the first commercial high-fat, low-starch feed for horses with myopathies – RE-LEVE® – which has been used to great success to manage horses with these muscle diseases.

At Michigan State University, Dr. Valberg described a new myopathy in Warmblood horses, MFM, that decreases their exercise tolerance and makes them reluctant to collect and engage their hindquarters. Her research led her to believe that increasing the antioxidant capacity of muscle might help these horses. Available antioxidants at the time would not suffice. Dr. Pagan went to work to develop a unique supplement that the pair showed could specifically increase the target antioxidant glutathione after exercise. The new MFM Pellet™ is now commercially available to help alleviate exercise intolerance in MFM horses.

Although Dr. Valberg has retired from her faculty position at Michigan State University, her passion still lies with helping horses with myopathies. Dr. Pagan’s commitment to analyzing the impact of his product through controlled research trials is one of the reasons why Dr. Valberg has enjoyed their collaborations over the years. Dr. Valberg says, “a continuing collaboration with KER provides me with the opportunity to host my site,” ValbergNMDL.com, her popular website on muscle diseases for horse owners, “as well as the resources needed for a diagnostic and consulting service for veterinarians.”