When he met Linda Goldspink-Lord of Poseidon Animal Health, he discovered their goals aligned – and with Poseidon at the forefront of what he views as the ‘new frontier’ in equine research, Dr Mortensen jumped at the chance to join the team.
“I just always had a love for animals,” begins Dr Chris Mortensen. “My father was a high school ag teacher, so I was exposed to livestock early on… and then during my high school years, that love of the horse really started to ingrain itself.”
Dr Mortensen has since carried that love throughout his life and career. Growing up in California overlooking the Del Mar racecourse, he worked for top trainer Darrell Wayne Lucas – even handling a daughter of Secretariat – whilst completing an undergraduate veterinary degree. It was then on to post-graduate vet school, where he completed a master’s degree in equine nutrition.
Dr Mortensen had a desire to help the animals he loved through becoming a veterinarian, however the economic reality of running his own large animal veterinary business in the United States during the 1990s led him to consider a different path.
From corn to cutting-edge equine nutrition
Obtaining his PhD in equine reproductive physiology, Dr Mortensen entered the word of academia and went on to teach at several prestigious universities. He found himself at the mecca of US equine research during the 2000s, where many around him were involved in cutting edge studies on reproduction (enter the cloning craze!) and equine nutrition – both topics Dr Mortensen had studied extensively himself.
Over his years spent in academia, Dr Mortensen has seen several research trends emerge – one of which has been gut health. This equine gut health revolution all began with a shift in the understanding of energy sources in the early 2000s, as it became apparent that fats were in many cases a far better energy source for most horses than starches.
“When I go back to feeding horses in the 1990s and 2000s, I still remember getting on the tractor in the morning and feeding steamed, crimped corn to our broodmares, foals and growing horses,” recalls Dr Mortensen, shaking his head. “I cringe at that today. Twenty years later, we now know that was probably one of the worst diets we could have given them: high in starch, high in sugar… it leads to metabolic issues!”
Gut health research has continued to advance, and Dr Mortensen now recognises this as the ‘new frontier’ in equine research – particularly when it comes to understanding the microbiome.
Change of pace
A change of pace came about in 2018 when Dr Mortensen moved to New Zealand, where he started out teaching in a rural animal technician program. A few years ago, he crossed paths with Poseidon Animal Health – and that excitement that comes with cutting edge research was reinvigorated once more.
“I came across Poseidon Animal Health, and I was excited by what Linda Goldspink-Lord and team were doing at the forefront of equine gastric health,” explains Dr Mortensen, who jumped at the opportunity to become a company consultant.
Research trends in horse nutrition often follow human nutrition discoveries, and now microbiome research is the cutting-edge in equine nutrition.
“To be honest with you, this is some of the most cutting-edge nutrition research out there,” he says of the work being done by the team at Poseidon. “It’s an unbelievable story; Linda’s story is really touching and she won me over almost immediately. She said, ‘Chris, my only goal is to make the world a better place for horses’. And I stopped her and said, ‘Linda, that’s all I needed to hear; I believe in your products, I believe in your company.’ That goal has always been my goal as an educator,” reflects Dr Mortensen. “That’s why I went to school for 11 years post-high school… I wanted to make the world a better place for horses and other animals, and I still do.”
“Learn as much as you can…”
“When I used to teach to my students at the university level, I would always say to be very careful with supplements,” explains Dr Mortensen. “The market is oversaturated, and you don’t know what’s in them. Much of the time, there’s no research behind them.”
For Dr Mortensen, the research and science-backed approach to Poseidon supplements has been a breath of fresh air. “I’ve looked at all the Poseidon products and I’m amazed at the research that’s gone into them – as well as the research that we’re now doing or plan to in the future.”
As an educator Dr Mortensen encourages horse owners to never stop learning, without being too harsh on themselves for a lack of knowledge in the past – after all, as Dr Mortensen points out, once upon a time even he was unaware of the unsuitability of corn!
“I just always tell horse owners, be gentle on yourselves, learn as much as you can. And then before you purchase supplements for your horse, do that research and make sure it’s scientifically backed.”
You can learn more from Poseidon Animal Health via their Equine Nutrition Articles and E-Books. For further information on webinars or to reach out directly for advice, Contact Poseidon.
