How do you stay current with new research on equine-assisted services (therapeutic riding/driving, hippotherapy, equine-assisted psychotherapy, learning, etc.) and the study of horse-huuman interaction? Now we have a "scouting report" that lists and links directly to new peer-reviewed articles, academic theses, patents, and conference abstracts. Ideal for both students and educators and professionals and administrators in the field, EASR has created an index of 50 topics, including EAS application research for 25 specific medical and mental health conditions. More topics cover horse-human interaction, health, welfare, behavior and training/selection of EAS horses, equine and human biomechanics during therapeutic riding, EAS center organizational management, professional certifications and academics, veterinary social work, technology used in EAS, competitive ("para") equestrian competition, and much, much more.You are invited to subscribe, and receive four quarterly editions that will keep you current, and help you see the overall picture of a growing sector of equine research and education that is changing the lives of clients and creating a new professional sector linked the equine industry to health and social forces learning just how much a horse can help.

Fran Jurga's ears are up...but her feet are on the ground. She is aware of the world around her, and loves the challenge of tracking down and interpreting the latest news and research about horse care, equestrian sport, wildlife, and the marine world. Fran’s freelance writing-for-hire has guaranteed that corporate, academic, and private clients stand out in the crowd--or the herd, as the case may be. Through her Hoofcare Publishing print and web projects, she blazed a new trail, bringing a multi-disciplinary approach to education on treating and preventing equine lameness so that veterinarians, farriers, technicians and therapists could read the same educational material, and work together on common ground.Fran holds a Bachelor’s degree in publishing and journalism from Simmons College and has been featured, published and quoted in major publications and programming including The New York Times, The BBC, NBC Sports, ESPN, The Boston Globe, Smithsonian Magazine, The Today Show, Money Magazine, and Children’s Television Workshop (PBS). Her articles have appeared in most equestrian sport and equine care publications and she is the author of three books, ranging from travel and food culture to the care of horses’ feet. Fran has created award-winning event coverage blogs and websites, documenting equestrian sports at two Olympic Games, the World Equestrian Games, director Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" film, and the historic US tour of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.On a separate track, Fran has been involved in the development of many of the world's leading aquariums, zoos, natural history museums, and visitor centers. Her work is found from Europe to Japan and many places between. She's the wordsmith and storyteller behind the writing on the walls.Imagine the story she could tell for--or about--you.

What can a journalist do with a strong background in equine lameness and hoofcare? Quite a bit, as it turns out: I launched an award-winning quarterly journal, created and managed a web site, and wrote a blog about new developments and continuing education on the subject of the horse's hoof and related equine sport sciences. I have also consulted for companies and individuals in many lameness-related fields and written for publications and media about this exciting growth area in the horse health industry. What's fun right now: creating Facebook graphics, using multimedia to tell stories, and drilling deeply into history for fascinating perspectives on where we are today.

My independent-contractor assignments require everything from conceptualizing complex natural science to good old-fashioned storytelling. I research and organize information, images, and media into compelling, original and unforgettable visitor experiences for museums, visitor centers, zoos, and/or aquariums. Large scale installations may also involve coordinated sound and light installations, data banks retrieved via information kiosks, and everything from novel wifi, smartphone, gps, or tablet delivery systems to more traditional graphic displays, video and projections. Most contracts have been for new institutions; others have planned or executed a special exhibit, publication, or event. Some projects involved proposal development for presentations on behalf of architects and designers. About half of my work has been in Europe and Asia. Two of my US-based projects received the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in recent years.

"The Jurga Report" is a media-rich news resource covering horse health, equine welfare, equine-assisted services, and equine science for EQUUS Magazine and Equine Network, Inc. I created a popular go-to resource on the web where I served as a scout in search of new science and technology that will (or did) affect horse health and welfare. I am proud of the many awards won by The Jurga Report, and its mention in media like the New York Times, BBC, Boston Globe, Smithsonian Magazine, and many other places.Words, pictures, and videos were the part of The Jurga Report that the public saw but I also worked diligently on SEO and search engine results. I created graphics and media, monitored mentions and sharing across the web, fielded comments, provided social media support, and analyzed statistics.Over the years, the project required learning to post on several different content management systems; it was updated two to three times a week and left behind a legacy archive of about 1,600 articles, many of which are still being read and shared and quoted.

Special event blogs: The London 2012 Olympic Games was a rich text-and-media blog focusing on previewing the equestrian events at the London 2012 Olympics, using an innovative "ScoopIt"​ content curation feed, Twitter, and Facebook resources, as well as a weekly podcast radio news show to feed into and out of the original web-based text articles. The entire project, including all graphics, photo research and design elements, was created by Fran Jurga."Discover WEG"​ chronicled the news and promoted the "buzz"​ surrounding the largest non-Olympics sports event held in North America in 2010. Using the Drupal content management system, "Discover WEG"​ was part of the newly-launched "discoverhorses.com"​ web site designed to promote horse ownership and participation in horse sports in the United States, and is supported by the Kentucky Horse Park, US Equestrian Federation, American Quarter Horse Association and other industry partners."World Rides"​ covered the equestrian sports events at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games; equestrian events were held in Hong Kong. The blog used rich media to familiarize American readers with dressage, show jumping and eventing riders and horses from other nations and to follow US riders. Coverage included forbidden substance and medication violations, weather problems and the emerging Chinese interest in equestrian sports.The SRS Tour Blog followed the Spanish Riding School of Vienna's 2005 tour of the United States in commemoration of General George Patton's rescue of the Lipizzaner mares during World War II. The blog combined news about the touring horses and riders along with history and culture notes on the School and its long tradition of classical equestrianism, along with the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II and General Patton's time in Austria.

War Horse News was an award-winning social media and information hub for the 2011 DreamWorks film "War Horse", directed and produced by Steven Spielberg. The site--along with its Twitter and Facebook extensions--supplied War Horse fans, history buffs, and horse lovers with a stream of news, background detail and media links, and tied in details about the play and book to enrich the understanding of the role of horses in war. The site has been dominant in search-engine and Google News results for news about the film and has led to collaborations with publishers and institutions from around the world. War Horse News became and remains the web's premiere place to share enthusiasm for horse history and appreciation of Steven Spielberg's epic film.

Contract specialist in promotion of "The Horse Boy", a 2009 Little, Brown non-fiction title, from book launch through project completion date. Media relations, publicity, social media functions. Also with Hachette in 2008: horse industry launch and promotion for EQUUS, horse photography book by Tim Flach.