New Home of the ECIR Group - groups.io

04/21/2016

The ECIR Group has moved to a new host site where help can continue to be sought for horses affected by Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) and Insulin Resistance (IR).

The developer of the original internet group, ultimately bought by Yahoo in 2000, observed changes to Yahoo groups and recognized a need that was not being met. The ECIR Group has been watching the development of groups.io, as well as the response from people who have moved to his new site. While still in development, the ECIR Group feels groups.io will be a much better fit for their forums, giving their members more features and an easier interface for people often dealing wth difficult circumstances.

The names of the four ECIR Group forums will be Equine Cushing's and Insulin Resistance; EC Horsekeeping; ECHoof; and ECHistory. Each of the four forums has been moved to groups.io. The look and feel will be similar to the old site, and there are also exciting new features.

Over 9,000 international members joined the new forum through a seamless transfer. Over the last few weeks volunteers have moved all files to the new site. All of nearly 200,000 archived messages, dating back to 1999, were also moved.

Started in 1999, the ECIR Group is the largest field-trial database for PPID and IR in the world and provides the latest research, diagnosis and treatment information, and dietary recommendations for horses with these conditions. Even universities do not and cannot compile and follow long term as many in-depth case histories of PPID/IR horses as the ECIR Group.

Founding member Robin Siskel initiated the ECIR Group for her little mare "Night Flight" (Tina) in 1999. Diagnosed with Cushing’s in 1994, Tina passed at age 31 from unrelated causes. In 2013 the Equine Cushing's and Insulin Resistance Group Inc., an Arizona nonprofit corporation, was approved as a 501(c)3 public charity. Tax deductible contributions and grants support ongoing research, education, and awareness of Equine Cushing's Disease/PPID and Insulin Resistance. 

THE MISSION of the ECIR Group Inc. is to improve the welfare of equines with metabolic disorders via a unique interface between basic research and real-life clinical experience. Prevention of laminitis is the ultimate goal. The ECIR Group serves the scientific community, practicing clinicians, and owners by focusing on investigations most likely to quickly, immediately, and significantly benefit the welfare of the horse.