Dr. Katrina Merkies

A horse eating hay

What The Hay?

Hay may look like the simplest part of a horse’s diet, but as University of Guelph professor Dr. Anna Kate Shoveller explains, it’s the foundation of equine health and far more complex than it appears...

A file photo of horses grazing

Survey Reveals Challenges In Managing Horse Weight

December 18, 2025

Research collected by University of Guelph post doctoral scholar Megan Ross as part of her recent PhD work from the Atlantic Veterinary College and in collaboration with Dr. Katrina Merkies shines a l...

A close up view of a horse

Can Ponies Distinguish Human Facial Expressions?

November 23, 2022

Most humans are good at giving someone a wide berth if they approach with a furrowed brow but how good are horses at interpreting our expressions? Dr. Katrina Merkies, researcher and associate profess...

Horses grazing in a field

What's In A Whinny?

When horses talk, we listen. But how good are we at deciphering what they have to say?

Are Most Horses Lefties?

September 27, 2021

“We were not surprised to learn 60 per cent of the horses in our 490-horse retrospective study had larger measurements on the left side of their withers,” said Dr. Katrina Merkies, researcher and asso...

New OEF Member Equine Research Fund

The Ontario Equestrian Federation and Equine Guelph are pleased to announce yet another level of partnership in order to help address the needs of the horse industry.

Professor To Study Equine Therapy

January 03, 2016

With the field of equine-assisted therapy growing, a new study will investigate the impact of related programs on the welfare of the horse.