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B R I N G I N G B E T T E R H E A L T H T O Y O U R H O R S E S
A P E R F E C T M A T C H

I N S I D E
4
EHRF Research Fellow Dr. Chris Bell and summer research student
Dane Tatarniuk transform an idea into a new, minimally-invasive treatment for sinusitis.
6
A basic anatomy project turned into a golden opportunity for EHRF summer research student Dane Tatarniuk.
8
Meet three young veterinary students at the WCVM who represent the future of horse health care in Western Canada.
10
EHRF invests $69,000 in five WCVM equine health research projects.
12
Tips on how you can keep your older horses healthy and happy.
14
Paint breeder Shirley Brodsky talks about the health and care of
Double Value, her 25-year-old broodmare.
FRONT COVER: Large animal surgery resident Dr. Chris Bell of
Airdrie, Alta. Bell is one of three EHRF Research Fellows at the
WCVM.
ABOVE: A curious colt at Jack and Shirley Brodsky’s farm near
Saskatoon, Sask. Foaled by Jackie on April 7, the palomino
Paint’s sire is Far Ute Finale (Finnegan).
H O R S E H E A L T H L I N E S
Horse Health Lines is produced by the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s
Equine Health Research Fund. Visit www.ehrf.usask.ca for more information. Please send comments to:
Dr. Hugh Townsend, Editor, Horse Health Lines
WCVM, University of Saskatchewan
52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4
Tel: 306-966-7453 • Fax: 306-966-7274 wcvm.research@usask.ca
For article reprint information, please contact sm.ridley@sasktel.net.
E ldon Bienert remembers the early days of the Equine Foundation of Canada when Nova Scotia horseman George Wade and a small band of volunteers from across the country regularly met in the early 1980s to set up the fledgling charity.
Wade, a successful Nova Scotia businessman and Morgan horse breeder, had a simple but ambitious dream for the organization: he wanted the EFC to improve the health and welfare of all horses — no matter what breed — across Canada.
That dream has led to more than $230,000 in support for veterinary scholarships, research grants and the purchase of medical equipment over the past 25 years. The money has been spread across the country through the foundation’s rotation of annual donations among Canada’s veterinary colleges.
“I always said to George, ‘This is something that we gotta carry on.’
And George said to me, ‘Well, when I’m gone, it’s something that you gotta carry on,’” said Bienert, a Morgan horse breeder from Leduc, Alta. “And that’s what happened. I couldn’t go back on my promise.”
But keeping that promise to his longtime friend wasn’t always easy.
After Wade died in 1997, Bienert, his wife Peggy MacDonald and others struggled to keep the foundation afloat and to attract more interest among
Canada’s horse owners. “You have your lean years and you have your good years,” said Bienert, who became the foundation’s president after Wade’s death.
Last year was one of the EFC’s good years. Through several fundraising trail rides in Alberta and Saskatchewan, along with a generous gift from the Alberta Trail Riding Association, the foundation raised $10,000 for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s equine health research program.
For Bienert, things got even better when he learned that the EFC gift met the requirements for the college’s matching gift program. Developed by the Heather Ryan and L. David Dubé Foundation, the Saskatoon-based organization will match any new or increased donations to the WCVM’s equine research programs between 2006 and 2011. In its first two years, the program has already helped to raise more than $300,000 in increased funding for the WCVM’s horse health activities.
“We think the matching gift program is just wonderful news, and we’re very pleased that our donation will bring additional money to the
WCVM’s horse health research projects. It makes all of the hard work of organizing our fundraisers throughout the year even more worthwhile for our supporters,” said Bienert.
The new funding will support the WCVM’s ongoing research investigations of equine sarcoids — the most commonly diagnosed skin tumours
in horses around the world (see sidebar).
“We’re extremely grateful to the hundreds of horse owners and enthusiasts across Canada who worked together through the EFC and raised this significant donation for the College’s horse health research program,” said WCVM Dean Dr. Charles Rhodes. “The EFC’s long-standing commitment to enhancing the health and welfare of all horses is an impressive example for the country’s entire horse industry.”
The gift is the largest that the EFC has ever presented to the WCVM since the national charity was created in 1983. Altogether, the foundation has contributed nearly $42,000 to the WCVM for equipment purchases and research grants, plus it has provided $20,000 worth of scholarships.

owners can raise money for the EFC by participating in trail rides in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
Alberta and B.C.
“We usually head out at 1:30 p.m., ride for a couple of hours and then come back for a big potluck supper. We always have lots of good food
— it makes an enjoyable evening for everyone,” says Bienert, whose enthusiasm for the volunteer-run foundation hasn’t waned during the past quarter century. He’s also proud of the fact that 94 per cent of every dollar raised through the EFC goes directly to support horse health and welfare.
“A lot of horse people don’t know about the Equine Foundation of Canada, so if we just take the time to explain what we do and why we do it, the light usually comes on. We just need to make people aware of why it’s important to take care of our horses.”
For more information about the EFC and upcoming fundraising events, visit www.equinefoundation.ca. H
“The WCVM was our very first recipient of a whopping $500 in 1984. Over the years, we’ve just been giving and you’ve been giving back,” EFC vice president
Charlene Dalen-Brown told a group of WCVM representatives and researchers during the cheque presentation at the veterinary college on April 24.
“Twenty-five years — that’s how long the Foundation and the WCVM have been in partnership. We’re helping you and you’re helping our horses — so thank you.”
While Dalen-Brown was celebrating the EFC’s latest donation at the WCVM,
Bienert and MacDonald were already talking about the foundation’s next season of fundraisers with visitors at the Mane Event in Red Deer, Alta. This summer, horse
ABOVE, left to right: Dr. Gillian Muir, WCVM’s acting associate dean of research, EFC supporters Laurie Friesen and Sharon Elder, researchers
Drs. Janet Hill, Bruce Wobeser and Andy Allen, EFC supporter Anita
Zadorozny, researchers Dr. Beverly Kidney and Betty Chow-Lockerbie,
Dr. David Wilson, WCVM Equine Health Research Fund chair, EFC supporter Nicole Shedden, WCVM Dean Charles Rhodes, EFC vice president Charlene Dalen-Brown and her husband, Bill Brown.
SARCOIDS, WESTERN CANADIAN STYLE: The Equine Foundation of Canada’s gift, along with the matching funding, will help to support an investigation of equine sarcoids — common skin tumours that can seriously impair a horse’s comfort and performance.
Led by Dr. Andy Allen of the WCVM’s Department of Veterinary
Pathology, the study is a continuation of work that began two years ago when Allen, PhD student Dr. Bruce Wobeser and veterinary pathologist Dr. Beverly Kidney set out to answer some of the unknowns about sarcoids and to develop a western Canadian “profile” of the tumours.
The team is still analyzing more than 800 biopsies of sarcoids from horses in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C., but based on preliminary findings, their results may demonstrate some regional variations in sarcoid epidemiology.
One difference may be in the breeds that are most susceptible to developing equine sarcoids in Western Canada. Another regional distinction showed up when researchers looked at the link between sarcoid development and a common cattle virus called bovine papillomavirus (BPV). In the majority of existing research, BPV-1 is the most commonly found virus in about 80 per cent of sarcoid samples taken from horses in Europe and the eastern U.S.
In contrast, the WCVM research team found that in sarcoids from which BPV DNA was recovered, 80 per cent was BPV-2 while only 20 per cent was BPV-1. These results are similar to what researchers have found in equine sarcoid samples taken from horses living in the western U.S.
In a second study, the team developed immunohistochemical techniques to demonstrate markers of apoptosis
(programmed cell death) in archived tumour tissue samples.
Based on recent research in human cervical cancer, which is also caused by a papillomavirus, the expression of apoptosis markers can be useful to determine the prognoses of these tumours. WCVM researchers are working to find similar diagnostic markers in equine sarcoids.
Now, microbiologist Dr. Janet Hill and lab technician
Betty Chow-Lockerbie are joining the original research team for a third study — one that will use molecular techniques to further explore the role of BPV in the growth of equine sarcoids. Based on recent studies, BPV may also play a role in inflammatory skin lesions and non-sarcoid neoplasms — a possibility that the WCVM researchers wants to investigate in western Canadian horses.
Based on their findings, the team hopes to develop more effective methods of diagnosing the skin tumours and to eventually find better strategies for treating the disease. Visit www.ehrf.usask.ca for more background information about the College’s equine sarcoid investigations.
Western College of Veterinary Medicine 3

A few years ago, a magazine article describing a minimallyinvasive treatment for people with chronic sinusitis caught Dr.
Chris Bell’s eye — and the veterinarian’s imagination. What if such a treatment could be adapted for use in horses?
Last summer, the chance to test that theory came up for Bell when second-year veterinary student
Dane Tatarniuk began working on a project to define the bony anatomy of the horse’s sinus. “Dane was able to show through the anatomical dissections that there are two separate nasal maxillary openings — something that’s never been previously reported,” points out Bell, a large animal surgical resident at the West-
Stories by Lynne Gunville ern College of Veterinary Medicine and a research fellow with the College’s Equine Health Research Fund.
Out of that information emerged the development of a new, minimally invasive treatment for sinusitis — a common condition that can have an enormous impact on horses. “If it isn’t treated, it causes a chronic infection in the sinus which results in performance-limiting nasal discharge,” explains Bell.
“It can actually deform the bone and
Idea
affect all the soft tissues surrounding the sinus cavity.”
Primary sinusitis, caused by bacterial infection, has traditionally
After considering a couple of options, Bell found that a human esophageal dilation balloon was the right size and strength for the equine procedure. required surgery using general anesthetic. “We actually flap the bone back The RUH staff helped him to determine the optimal inflation for the balloon, and then go in surgically and punch a hole down through the sinus to and he and Tatarniuk began testing the model on horse skulls. provide drainage and to flush it,” describes Bell, adding that patients usually “We would fill both sides of the sinuses with fluid. We wouldn’t use the spend about five days recovering in the clinic from this invasive surgery.
Now, this new procedure will decrease the recovery time and minimize balloon catheter on one side, and then we’d balloon catheterize the other side. This allowed us to compare the drainage rates between the two sides,” explains Bell. Through these experiments, they discovered that inserting the the effect on the animal — addressing key concerns for horse owners and veterinarians. balloon catheter permanently dilated the opening and allowed for increased
“The major advantage is that it’s minimally invasive and it can be done drainage.
Novel use for AI pipette in the field. It’ll provide the ability for a practitioner to possibly treat sinusitis in the field without the horse having to come in to a veterinary clinic,” says
Bell.
However, there was a problem with the endoscope: it was just too flexible. What they needed was a rigid introducer that could withstand the back pressure of the catheter moving past the cartilage. Unfazed, Bell ingeniously Balloon catheters: from humans to horses fashioned a device by shaping and moulding a pipette used for artifical Bell and Tatarniuk began their research trial with the guidance of Dr. insemination (AI). “Now we run our balloon up through this introducer. It James Carmalt, Bell’s graduate supervisor. Their first step was using an endohas nowhere else to go but right inside there,” says Bell, adding that a patent scope to determine the exact location of the nasal maxillary opening. “That hadn’t been really defined in equine surgery anywhere,” explains Bell. for the introducer is now under review.
Pinpointing the opening’s location would allow them to accurately insert a balloon catheter and dilate the opening under endoscopic guidance, a similar procedure to that used in humans. To learn more, Bell spent a day in the Royal University Hospital’s cardiology catheterization laboratory in
Saskatoon where he watched procedures and gained valuable advice from lab director Dr. Colin Pearce and his staff.
After perfecting the procedure on cadavers, Bell and Tatarniuk tried it out on live animals. “I was quite surprised,” says Bell. “I thought they’d resist it a lot more as we were crushing some cartilage up in their sinuses, but we found that with basic sedation, they didn’t resist the passage of the introducer.
We were able to show that we can do these in the standing horses so they don’t require general anesthetic.”
4 Horse Health Lines • Summer 2009

According to Bell, the procedure has also proven useful in treating secondary sinusitis that often develops along with dental issues. Specifically, the technique is used for packing the sinus during surgery. “The advantage with our technique is that we don’t have to make an extra hole. We just dilate the normal hole and pass the removable packing through.
It’s much better for the horse — the healing is a lot better, and the risk of introducing infection is a lot lower.”
In October, Bell will present the research team’s work at the American College of Veterinary Surgeons’ annual symposium in Washington, D.C. Over the next year, he plans to carry out clinical trials to further confirm the results.
“Basically, we’re going to provide the same flushing as we would normally do except that I’ll be able to pass the balloon catheter on the horses and monitor them.”
The research project, which is part of Bell’s Master of
Veterinary Science (MVetSc) degree program, has been very satisfying. “The thrill of designing something new, coming up with something novel that hadn’t been done before in horses and being able to adapt a human surgical technique for horses — that was probably what was the most fun about it.”
Bell also enjoyed working with Tatarniuk. “He’s a really good student, really keen, and he really impressed me.” He adds with a laugh, “I’d hire him if I had a clinic.” H
Lynne Gunville is a freelance writer and editor whose career includes 25 years of teaching English and communications to adults. She and her husband live at
Candle Lake, Sask.
PRECEDING PAGE: Dane Tatarniuk (left) watches as Dr.
Chris Bell uses a horse’s skull to demonstrate how the human esophageal dilation balloon catheter (see closeup) is inflated inside the sinus cavity. ABOVE (LEFT):
Bell shows how the team uses a modified AI pipette as a rigid introducer for the balloon catheter. ABOVE (RIGHT):
Once the balloon catheter is inserted into the horse’s sinus cavity, the expanded balloon permanently dilates the opening by crushing some of the sinus cartilage.
HOME SWEET SURGERY SUITE: Veterinary surgery became a real career option for Chris Bell in Grade 11 when he volunteered at a local veterinary clinic that specialized in horses. “I was able to watch the surgeons working, and I just thought it was really neat — the detail and precision that was required for surgery,” says
Bell, who grew up around horses and cattle on the family farm near Airdrie, Alta.
His family also bred Canadian Warmbloods and ran a boarding stable, so Bell often had the chance to meet local large animal veterinarians and watch them in action during field visits. “Working with animals just seemed like a really fun job.”
By the time he began his own veterinary career at the Western College of
Veterinary Medicine in 2002, Bell planned to go into large animal practice after graduation. But during his first year, he spent time in the College’s Large Animal
Clinic with Dr. James Carmalt who was then a large animal surgical resident.
Watching Carmalt perform surgeries reignited Bell’s interest in surgery: “By my second year of vet school, I really decided that I liked surgery and I wanted to pursue it.”
After graduating in 2006, Bell spent a busy and productive year as a clinical intern at Arizona Equine Medical and Surgical Center in Gilbert, Ariz. The internship was a valuable experience, especially because it exposed Bell “to a number of different ways of doing things — and different ways that different people do things.”
In 2007, Bell returned to Canada to begin a large animal surgical residency at the WCVM where his position is financially supported by the Equine Health Research
Fund’s fellowship program. Two years into his three-year residency, Bell says he’s really enjoying the hospital’s clinical case load. “I like getting into surgery and getting my hands dirty and helping a horse get better.”
Besides his clinical and research work, Bell enjoys teaching and working with veterinary students. “We have a really excellent program at WCVM — I think it’s probably one of the best in North America. I think WCVM students are trained extremely well, and that’s a testament to the training they get in their first three years as well as their clinical year.”
Bell plans to spend his third year working on the clinical trials resulting from his sinusitis treatment research project and hopes to start on another project with
Carmalt: developing a technique to treat horses that have Cushing’s disease. He also foresees more possibilities for using the balloon catheters — another avenue that he hopes to explore.
Once his residency wraps up in 2010, Bell plans to go into private practice.
Although Bell wants to specialize in upper airway surgery, he expects to become a “jack of all trades” with exposure to all types of equine surgeries.
That’s fine by him, adding that he just likes working with horses. “They’re amazing athletes and I like trying to get them back to their tiptop shape and performing for their owners.”
Western College of Veterinary Medicine 5

Q: How did your project evolve over last summer?
I started out working with equine cadaver heads taking various measurements. As we progressed, we started to look at different disease processes in the sinuses.
From there, Dr. Bell came up with the idea to mimic what’s done in human medicine by dilating the opening using the balloon catheter. By the end of the summer, we’d developed a technique that surgically helps facilitate drainage in a non-invasive manner.
Q: What did you gain from your research experience?
For one thing, I gained exposure to using resources — looking up journal articles and searching for information on academic websites.
Then actually writing my paper helped strengthen my abilities to form thought processes and put ideas into words.
I also gained a lot of valuable clinical experience just helping out around the clinics. Observing Dr. Bell and Dr. Carmalt performing lameness exams gave me good exposure in developing my interpretive skills. Interpreting radiographs was also really good practice for me.
Another benefit was the chance to watch the veterinarians with the clients — to see them interact with clients and help them make decisions in terms of prognosis and cost of treatment. The whole summer was a really good experience. Dr. Carmalt and Dr. Bell are both very determined and driven and innovative. It was a really good environment for team work.
Q: What was the highlight?
When we actually achieved the technique in the live, standing, sedated horse
— that was probably the highlight of the summer. It was pretty close to the end of the summer for me, and it was a nice conclusion in that we’d started just looking at the anatomy and finished with actually having this surgical technique successfully achieved in a live horse.
Q: Is research part of your future plans?
I really want to pursue an internship, and I’m considering a residency in large animal surgery after that. But I wouldn’t mind returning to research as a part time thing some day. Doing research along with maintaining clinical responsibilities would be a nice balance.
Q: Do you have any advice for students considering research?
I think it’s really important to know what you want to get out of the experience.
I was very fortunate to work for someone who was active in research but also maintained clinical responsibilities. It’s just a better opportunity for your education — you’re getting two experiences in one shot. H
6 Horse Health Lines • Summer 2009
W hen Dane Tatarniuk began his summer research project in 2008, the second-year veterinary student wasn’t expecting to play a role in developing a minimallyinvasive surgical technique for treating sinusitis in horses.
“My initial project was to investigate the normal anatomy of the horse’s nasal maxillary opening — the opening that leads from the nasal cavities into the paranasal sinuses,” explains
Tatarniuk, whose summer job was supported by the WCVM’s
Equine Health Research Fund.
But once he shared the results of his work with his supervisors,
Drs. James Carmalt and Chris Bell, the project took an exciting new direction when the large animal clinicians began discussing how they could use Tatarniuk’s fundamental findings to improve the actual treatment of sinus problems in horses.
By summer’s end, the research team had successfully tested a new technique in a live horse at the WCVM’s Veterinary
Teaching Hospital. “It’s really exciting for me that I was a part of helping to develop this technique, and it’s something that I could be using in my future career,” says Tatarniuk, who will begin his third year at the WCVM this fall.
Originally from Yorkton, Sask., Tatarniuk’s interest in horses began while spending summers and holidays with his uncle, a racehorse trainer in Vancouver. “It was partially to get the experience needed to get into vet school, but it was also really fun to do, and I got the opportunity to hang out with the racetrack veterinarians there.”
This summer, Tatarniuk will even gain more valuable hands-on experience with Dr. Dan French in his satellite clinic at
Calgary’s Spruce Meadows. As well, he’s still gaining from last year’s research work. Veterinary Surgery recently published a case study written by Tatarniuk, Carmalt and Dr. Andy Allen of
WCVM’s Department of Veterinary Pathology, and the student is hoping another journal will publish an article detailing findings from his research project.
ABOVE : Veterinary student Dane Tatarniuk, WCVM Class of 2011.

Stories by Lynne Gunville
When Kehler died in
August 2003, Gadowsky and the other Foundation directors decided to establish the Bill Kehler Memorial
Scholarship in recognition of his outstanding efforts for the rodeo community.
“Education was always really important to him, and so we felt the best way that we could honour him was to develop a scholarship specific to the areas that Bill was passionate about — so agriculture and broadcasting are the two areas that we really focus on.”
After consulting with
Bill’s daughters, the rodeo community and with other announcers, the Foundation directors decided to ask
applicants to submit official transcripts and two letters of reference along with a short essay — a key part of the application process.
“It’s about their passion for what they’re doing, their long-term goals and how well they state them,” says Gadowksy.
“We look for someone who would be a good ambassador for Bill’s legacy. Is this person somebody that Bill would be proud to know and proud to carry on the history in the community that he was involved in?”
Of the 50 to 60 applicants that apply each year, the committee selects four winners who are awarded the scholarship at the CFR in Edmonton.
Gadowsky is always impressed by the recipients: “They’re the kind of kids that I hope my two boys will grow up to be. They’re smart, driven, they know where they want to go, and they’re well on their path to getting there — and they’re passionate about what they do.”
Gadowsky’s words aptly describe the four 2008 scholarship recipients
— three of whom are studying veterinary medicine at the Western College
of Veterinary Medicine (read their biographies on pages 8 and 9). The fourth
recipient, Jaeda Fedemma of Grande Cache, Alta., is a student in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education.
Gadowksy says she is pleased with the success of the scholarship.
“Anything we can do to keep Bill’s memory alive, I’m very proud of.” She’s also proud of the Foundation which, since its establishment in 1989, has paid
Bill Kehler, who was well known throughout the agriculture and rodeo community, announced at many events over the years including the Masters out over $1 million to people in the rodeo community who are in need. “The fact that we raise these funds to help the injured cowboys and to help educate students along the way just makes me feel pretty good inside.” H at Spruce Meadows, the Calgary Stampede and the annual Canadian Finals
Rodeo (CFR) in Edmonton, Alta. Gadowsky recalls his incredible background knowledge of the animals and the competitors as well as his endless patience with children. “Little kids would come up to him and be full of questions, and he always took time to answer them.”
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS (left to right): Terry Goslin and Ty Corbiell of the
WCVM; Laura Gadowsky, chair, Edmonton Rodeo Benevolent Foundation;
Earl Klapstein, Northlands director responsible for the CFR; Jaeda
Feddema of the University of Alberta and Angela Oakley of the WCVM.
Photo courtesy of Northlands, Edmonton, Alta.
Western College of Veterinary Medicine 7

Ty Corbiell, Cluny, Alta.
Ty Corbiell recalls the excitement of the Bill Kehler Memorial Scholarship presentation during the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) last November:
“They take you right down on the arena dirt at Rexall Place, and on the final Sunday (of the rodeo weekend), there’s about 15,000 people there to see you receive the award.”
His family was on hand to watch the presentation; in fact, his two brothers-in-law have competed in calf roping at the CFR. “My sister-in-law had videos of them roping calves and then she’d have a video of me receiving the award, so that was pretty neat.”
Corbiell grew up on a cattle ranch where he used Quarter horses to do the ranch work and belonged to the local 4-H horse club. After high school, he began competing in team roping at local rodeos. When Corbiell came to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005, he joined the WCVM
Equine Club and the College’s student chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). He’s taken every opportunity to expand his equine knowledge, participating in weekend clinics as well as an AAEPsponsored equine practice seminar in Lexington, Ky.
In 2007 and 2008, Corbiell was selected to attend Florida’s North
American Veterinary Conference — an experience that opened his eyes to future opportunities in the veterinary profession. “You look at some of those guys and think, ‘I’d definitely like to be able to have the potential and the knowledge to do that some day.’”
Corbiell’s passion for horses was fuelled by his summer position with
Dr. Dan French of Teradan Equine in the practice’s satellite clinic at Spruce
Meadows. He recalls working with the performance horses and describes them as true athletes competing for thousands of dollars. “Being able to work on horses and then watch them compete and win — that’s pretty
rewarding,” says Corbiell, who particularly enjoyed working on the individual animals and interacting with their owners.
Realizing that an internship would help him gain the knowledge and experience to pursue that aspect of equine medicine ,
Corbiell externed at Idaho Equine Hospital in Nampa, Idaho, and the Arizona Equine
Medical and Surgical Center in Gilbert, Ariz.
After both equine referral practices offered him internships, Corbiell accepted the internship in
Idaho and looks forward to active involvement in cases with senior clinicians available to offer advice.
Corbiell then plans to enter private equine practice, preferably working with western performance horses. “I’d like to work on some of these rodeo and higher end western performance horses because they’re great athletes and I’d enjoy doing my part to help them reach their full athletic potential.”
Calf roping is a recent interest, and
Corbiell looks forward to doing more: “A lot of veterinarians like to go golfing — I like to go roping or practice roping my roping dummy.
It’s a nice break to get out of the city and think, ‘Man, this is why I’m actually going to school.’”
Angela Oakley, Edmonton, Alta.
Second-year WCVM student Angela Oakley is living her dream. “Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be a veterinarian — that was what I’ve always wanted to do,” says Oakley.
The self-described “horse-crazy kid” spent every possible moment on
Fern Valley Farms, a purebred Appaloosa farm near Edmonton, Alta. Her family lived in the city, but Angela lived for summers and weekends on the farm.
By the time she was eight, Oakley was training horses for her mother and her Aunt Sherry, co-owners of the Appaloosas. “They needed a light body and I was around. It went really well, actually.”
Oakley has worked with training and breeding horses ever since, always enjoying the management and health aspects. “I like working with them on the ground and the training and learning their behaviours and what makes them tick. “
For a girl who loved farm life, attending city schools was tough. “You meet people who don’t even know where their food comes from — that was always a big concern of mine,” says Oakley, whose pony Digger also helped her through the rough times. “He was my rock. He never tells secrets, and I could trust him.”
After high school, Angela studied animal sciences at the University of
Alberta, joining several clubs including one that promoted agriculture to children. She also joined Ceres , a women’s fraternity that promoted agriculture and agricultural education for women. “ Ceres was like a gold mine.
I loved being able to hang out with people who understood where I came from and were willing to talk horses with me for hours,” recalls Oakley.
Since entering the WCVM in 2008, Oakley has had the chance to join additional organizations and she recently became vice president of the Col-
8 Horse Health Lines • Summer 2009

lege’s student chapter of the AAEP. “It’s just I’m here — this is something I’ve wanted my entire life and you only get out of something what you put into it.” She adds that the activities help veterinary students develop good people skills:
“For every animal you treat, there’s a person attached.”
Oakley’s summer experiences have included working on poultry and dairy research projects. This summer, she’ll live at Fern Valley
Farms and split her time between two nearby businesses: the Onaway Veterinary Clinic where she’ll work during the day and Excell
Warmbloods where she will help with breeding and artificial insemination during the evening.
Her second horse, Eurus, is a Dutch Warmblood that she eventually hopes to train for dressage competitions.
Oakley’s future definitely includes large animals, particularly horses. “I like being outside, doing farm calls and meeting the clients. There’s usually a 16-year-old girl attached to the side of the horse. It makes an interesting dynamic — the people attached to horses.”
“I’ve gone to the Strathmore Rodeo since I was 10, and I’ve been there every single year since then,” explains Goslin.
Although his family moved around as he was growing up, Goslin and his sister always spent their summers on their grandparents’ farm in
Alberta. “During the summers, I would go and spend piles and piles of time with my grandparents,” says Goslin, whose grandfather has always been a big influence in his life. “We did a lot of fencing . . . I did so much fencing Terence (Terry) Goslin, North Battleford, Sask.
As Terry Goslin was reading through the Western Producer one day, he saw an advertisement for the Bill Kehler Memorial Scholarship. The name took him right back in time to when he was a kid, sitting beside his grandpa in the stands at the Strathmore Rodeo and listening to the trademark voice of rodeo announcer Bill Kehler. with my grandpa.”
Another important influence was Goslin’s older sister Sylvia (WCVM
’06) who was already going through the paces of getting into veterinary medicine when her brother began volunteering at a North Battleford veterinary clinic during Grade 10. “In Grade 11, I decided that I was going to be a veterinarian and that was just the way it was going to be,” says Goslin, who even arranged his Grade 12 schedule so he could spend his mornings at the veterinary clinic.
Goslin also worked four summers at a feedlot in Coronation, Alta., where he learned a lot about cows and horses. He especially enjoyed the range work: “They had about 2,500 head on grass and they treated the old cowboy way where we’d go out and head and heel the cattle so we could treat them.”
In 2005, after two years at University of Saskatchewan’s College of
Agriculture, Goslin was accepted into the WCVM. During his time at the College, his focus was on large animals, and his summer jobs reinforced that.
In 2007, Goslin worked at a large animal ambulatory practice in Yorkton then spent the summer of 2008 at a mixed practice in North Battleford — the same clinic where his sister now practises.
After graduating from the WCVM in May 2009, Goslin and his wife
Erin headed to Moose Jaw where he now works at Bellamy Harrison Animal
Hospital. Although he hasn’t had much time to ride his two horses, Goslin plans to do some team roping this year. Some day, he also hopes to enlarge his herd of four cows and get more heavily involved in cow-calf production.
And of course, Goslin still plans on making his annual trip out to the
Strathmore Rodeo. Some things should never change. H
To find out more about the Bill Kehler Memorial Scholarship and the application process, please visit www.canadianfinalsrodeo.com and conduct a search for “Bill Kehler.”
Western College of Veterinary Medicine 9

The Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s Equine
Health Research Fund has allocated a total of $69,000 to five new equine health research projects — all of which cover topics of vital importance for researchers and for horse owners.
This year’s studies focus on several critical conditions in horses including equine sarcoids, equine influenza, endotoxemia and endometritis. A fifth study is an analysis of a new analgesic (pain killer) — an investigation that focuses on WCVM’s continued efforts to improve the effectiveness of anesthesic protocols for horses and other species.
Dr. Gillian Muir, acting associate dean of research at the WCVM, says all of the projects will help to advance ongoing investigations of these health issues and take things to the next step.
“Backed by the team members’ extensive knowledge of the subject and their experience, our research teams will quickly reach the point where they’re exploring new possibilities for solving key issues related to these conditions.”
What does that mean for horse owners and equine veterinarians? As Muir points out, the College’s scientists are continuing to make significant research contributions toward the world’s development of new diagnostic and therapeutic options for horses. At the same time,
EHRF-supported studies provide graduate students with specialized training in equine health research.
10 Horse Health Lines • Summer 2009
What’s the best way to characterize and localize bovine papillomavirus (BPV) ?
Drs. Andy Allen, Bruce Wobeser, Janet Hill and Beverly
Kidney, WCVM
Many scientists consider bovine papillomavirus (BPV) as the cause of sarcoids, benign skin tumours that are often diagnosed in horses. However, recent studies have shown that BPV DNA is also found in the normal skin and in non-sarcoid skin lesions of horses. These findings compromise researchers’ understanding of the cause and transmission of sarcoids.
Determining the role of BPV in sarcoids and developing effective noninvasive tests will have a positive impact on diagnosis and treatment. During the next year, a WCVM research team will detect and determine the genotype of
BPV in 100 biopsies of inflammatory skin lesions taken from equine patients in
Western Canada. Next, researchers will compare the data with BPV information that they previously collected during an investigation of sarcoid tissue biopsies taken from western Canadian horses.
The research team will examine all BPV-positive samples using three novel techniques — laser capture micro-dissection followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in situ PCR, and in situ loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) — for the purpose of determining the precise location of BPV within each biopsy. These three techniques will be evaluated as possible test methods for sarcoids and may potentially benefit other studies at WCVM.
Are there better ways to block the equine flu virus?
Drs. Matthew Loewen and Hugh Townsend, WCVM
Equine influenza A virus is a common respiratory disease that causes fever, cough, runny noses and sometimes death in affected horses. Although its effects are usually short term, the virus is considered a serious threat to the horse industry. This is especially true for the racing sector where flu outbreaks can cause huge financial losses. The influenza virus is highly contagious, spreading very quickly through an equine population, and it easily mutates, developing resistance to current antiviral medications. Four antiviral medications are currently available, but their effectiveness for prevention and treatment decreases as the virus mutates.
In this study, Drs. Matthew Loewen and Hugh Townsend of the WCVM will analyze millions of commercially available compounds and identify those possessing the characteristics needed to combat the virus. Specifically, the researchers are seeking compounds that effectively block the M2 protonselective ion channel whose function is essential for viral replication.
Within that group, future testing will determine their viability as antiviral medications. The researchers will also develop a physiological screening tool for the purpose of generating new compounds with antiviral capabilities that can be developed into medications.
This study’s findings and future research will establish an arsenal of antiviral medications that can provide additional options as the virus gains resistance to current drugs.

Is long pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) a therapeutic target?
Drs. Baljit Singh and Sarabjeet Suri, WCVM
Horses are extremely susceptible to sepsis-associated multiple organ inflammation and mortality — one of the major causes of economic losses to the horse industry. Sepsis and endotoxemia are generally associated with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Blood-borne bacteria and endotoxins activate neutrophils — blood cells that act as first responders in bacterial inflammations and are central to acute lung injury and tissue damage. These neutrophils contain long pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) , a newly identified protein that has been recognized as a factor in human lung injuries but has not yet been characterized in horses.
Because PTX-3 may play an important role in this inflammation, investigating its structure as well as the signalling mechanisms that regulate it may lead to effective new therapies. In this two-year study, Drs.
Baljit Singh and Sarabjeet Suri will compare normal and activated blood neutrophils as well as normal and inflamed lungs of the horse. They will investigate the gene code of PTX-3 and will study cytokines , the proteins that signal immune cells, to determine their role in inducing production of PTX-3. Researchers will also investigate the cell signalling pathways that regulate the structure of PTX-3.
Is remifentanil a useful analgesic for horses?
Drs. Tanya Duke, Peter Brassel and Joe Bracamonte,
WCVM; and Dr. Jane Alcorn, College of Pharmacy and
Nutrition, U of S
Because general anaesthetics like isoflurane don’t have strong analgesic properties, surgical teams must administer additional analgesic drugs intravenously during surgical procedures such as bone fractures that require intense surgical stimulation and can be extremely painful for equine patients. Although morphine has been widely used for this purpose, it often triggers undesirable side effects in horses such as excess excitement during the recovery period.
Finding an effective analgesic with minimal side effects, particularly in horses, is critical. Remifentanil is a potent opiod currently used in dogs that has a fast and unique metabolism and quickly leaves the system, thus minimizing side effects and speeding up the recovery period. This new drug could potentially provide adequate pain relief and reduce recovery time of horses without compromising them during or after surgery.
In this study,
Dr. Tanya Duke and anesthesia resident
Dr. Peter Brassel will work with six research horses to compare the effectiveness of remifentanil to that of morphine. They will assess its usefulness as an analgesic, observe any side effects during surgery and recovery, and analyze the process by which it leaves the circulatory system. Based on their findings, the researchers will be able to determine whether remifentanil is a suitable opiod analgesic for horses.
How do TLRs and cytokines regulate immune response in the uterus?
Drs. Claire Card, Sarah Eaton, Baljit Singh and Manuel
Chirino-Trejo, WCVM
Endometritis (excessive uterine inflammation) is caused by a mare’s immune response to sperm, debris and to bacteria such as Streptococcus equi subsp zooepidemicus and E. coli . This condition, which affects more than 15 per cent of broodmares, costs the equine industry millions of dollars each year from high veterinary costs, poor conception rates, late foals and more barren mares.
Recent research points to the role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and cytokines in regulating immune responses in the uterus. TLRs recognize conserved molecular structures of bacterial pathogens and activate downstream production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
During the next two years, WCVM researchers will continue to investigate the role of TLRs and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in mares receiving intra-uterine challenges with
S. equi subsp zooepidemicus , E. coli , seminal plasma or sperm. Specifically, the research team will compare TLRs and pro-inflammatory cytokines of mares resistant or susceptible to endometritis to these common uterine challenges.
By gaining a better understanding of the role of TLRs and cytokines and learning more about the reactions of mares resistant or susceptible to endometritis, the WCVM research group hopes to develop more effective treatment strategies for the disease.
H
PRECEDING PAGE: A yearling filly at the 2008 Prairie Lily Yearling
Sale. LEFT: Charlotte takes a drink from her dam, Special Violet
(Violet). The 2009 Paint filly’s sire is Far Ute Finale (Finnegan), owned by Jack and Shirley Brodsky.
ABOVE: The eye of a
Quarter horse-Welsh cross mare.
Western College of Veterinary Medicine 11

Horses are living long lives on acreages, farms and ranches across North America. That reality is reflected in statistics: it’s estimated that geriatric horses (animals more than 20 years old) account for somewhere between seven and 20 per cent of the entire equine population.
Owners and veterinarians are growing more aware that proper management and medical care can expand the lifespan of these horses. Many age-related issues like dental disease or parasite problems can also be prevented through regular veterinary care that’s provided throughout a horse’s life.
Dr. Katharina Lohmann is an internal medicine specialist and an associate professor in the Western College of
Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Large Animal Clinical
Sciences. Since many of her regular patients at the College’s
Veterinary Teaching Hospital are equine senior citizens, Lohmann has gathered together a wealth of health management tips that are specific for geriatric horses.
The following story is an abridged version of a comprehensive article that Lohmann wrote for a national veterinary publication called Large Animal Veterinary Rounds that’s written at the WCVM. Visit www.canadianveterinarians.net/ larounds (click on “Archives” for the complete title list) to read the entire article that was published in June 2007. Plus, make sure to read another helpful article called “Diseases Affecting the Geriatric Horse” (published in September 2007).
12 Horse Health Lines • Summer 2009
FOOD AND WATER
A common challenge in caring for older horses is maintaining their weight. Several factors can cause a horse to lose pounds or adequate body condition: underfeeding, protein-calorie malnutrition, nutrient loss, the inability to eat, a lack of appetite, or a physiologic condition or illness.
In many cases, it’s not enough to simply increase the amount of feed: it may take some research to understand the root of the problem. For example, if an older horse is underfed with protein-calorie malnutrition, the animal may have trouble eating the existing feed. In that case, you may need to find an alternate feed that’s easier for the horse to chew or digest. Or, if younger herdmates are preventing the senior horse from getting enough access to food, you may need to rearrange the herd and provide more accessible feed sources to avoid competition.
Q. How much fuel does a senior need?
An older horse’s feeding regimen generally needs little or no adjustments as long as the animal maintains its weight and body condition. The National
Research Council’s (NRC) energy recommendations for adult horses equates to about 7.5 to 11 kilograms of hay per day — depending on feed quality and energy content. However, these ration estimates are only a starting point and need adjusting to account for exercising, chronic illness or conditions, or cold weather.
Use body conditioning scoring systems or weight tapes to monitor an older horse’s body condition. While weight loss is a common concern, you also need to be sure that obesity doesn’t become a problem.

Q. What are the best energy sources?
While good quality forage is the ideal main-
tenance feed source, older animals with dental issues may need alternate feed to maintain body condition. Complete pelleted feeds meet all dietary requirements for senior horses including higher protein and fat content along with balanced mineral supplementation. If a horse doesn’t have a condition like recurrent choke, you can also feed supplemental hay to satisfy your horses’ chewing needs and to prevent boredom or bad vices.
Make the switch from hay to pellets gradually, and adjust feed amounts for the individual horse. As well, consider cost before deciding to make the switch: based on maintenance requirements, a horse will need about 15 to 20 pounds of complete feed per day.
One cheaper alternative: feed energy-packed beet pulp and grains or sweet feeds to senior horses along with their daily hay ration. But these high-carbohydrate diets aren’t recommended if a horse has chronic laminitis or insulin resistance (a common condition associated with pituitary dysfunction).
While supplemental feeds with higher fat content are available in feed stores, you can also add vegetable oils to your animals’ diets. You can feed up managing musculoskeletal issues.
EXERCISE
Regular exercise can improve a horse’s mobility and slow down the effects of age on cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal function, but exercise regimens should be tailored to the horse. As well, be aware that older horses may be prone to overheating during strenuous exercise and may become dehydrated.
As the horse’s body changes, it may also be necessary to adjust the animal’s regular saddle and tack.
Common causes of reduced athletic capacity in older horses include:
• musculoskeletal problems that are caused by the cumulative “wear and  tear” of athletic activities versus acute conditions.
• decreased range of joint motion that can lead to further lameness problems  if a horse tries to perform strenuous exercise.
• age-related changes in body conformation such as swayback.
Some musculoskeletal conditions in older horses can’t be cured. Instead, they require long-term management and pain control through the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or other systemic medications, supplements (such as glucosamine or hyaluronic acid) or arthrodesis of low-motion joints. Specialized trimming and shoeing can also be helpful in to two cups of oil to an average-sized horse in two or more daily feedings with small amounts of beet pulp and grain, but start with smaller volumes and gradually increase to oil amounts over two to three weeks.
Q. What are changes in digestive capacity?
The energy requirements of older horses may not change, but their ability to digest certain nutrients may be reduced. Geriatric horses may prefer feeds with higher protein concentrations with less fibre content, and it may also be advisable to increase mineral supplementation so the horse gets enough phosphorus. But be careful about making these kinds of changes if horses have been diagnosed with renal or liver disease.
Since chronic parasitism can cause decreased feed digestibility in older horses, it’s important to maintain a good deworming program. If a horse has trouble maintaining its body condition, use extruded feeds or add Brewer’s yeast that has the added benefit of providing supplemental B-vitamins.
Q. What are changes in water intake?
Dental pain or decreased thirst perception may cause older horses to reduce their water intake. That can cause low-grade chronic dehydration that leads to reduced exercise tolerance and a predisposition to impaction colic or renal dysfunction. As well, older horses can develop choke if they don’t drink enough water along with alfalfa pellets or other pelleted diets.
How can you increase your horses’ water intake? One option is to soak their hay or roughage, but that’s not a long-term solution since it reduces the feed’s nutrient content. Adding salt to a horse’s diet may increase thirst, but animals must have free access to water and it’s advisable to test for adequate renal function before using this option. Another suggestion: feed mashes or slurries to geriatric horses — a good way to ensure that they ingest some fluids.
If horses aren’t drinking as much because of oral pain, it’s important to correct the dental problem. Heated water sources will also help to reduce the pain of cold water on a sensitive mouth. If an older horse has a chronic condition like laminitis, it’s also important to make it as easy as possible to give the animal ready access to clean water.
PREVENTIVE CARE AND VACCINATIONS
Geriatric horses may be more susceptible to infections based on declining immune responses with age, concurrent diseases, general debilitation and poor nutritional status. Researchers have demonstrated that declining immune responses with age primarily affect the adaptive immune responses, specifically antibody formation, while the innate immune system remains relatively stable throughout life.
Here are some recommendations about vaccinating older horses:
• routine vaccination against viral diseases like influenza should continue  throughout life.
• continue vaccinating against life-threatening conditions like encephalomy elitis, tetanus and rabies. In contrast, some scientists recommend that owners discontinue vaccination against equine herpes virus infection since it may provide little benefit and may favour reactivation of latent infections.
• inactivated vaccines are thought to be safer for geriatric horses compared  with attenuated live vaccines.
• optimizing a horse’s overall health status can help to achieve the maximum  benefit of vaccination.
Since chronic parasitism is a common problem in geriatric horses, review your deworming strategies — especially in animals with a perceived loss of body weight and/or condition, or with pituitary dysfunction. Monitor parasite load in an older horse through regular examinations of body weight, body condition and fecal egg counts.
Lohmann, Katharina L. “Management and Care of the Geriatric
Horse.” Large Animal Veterinary Rounds 7(5), 1-6.
Published with permission from Large Animal Veterinary Rounds, a publication produced by the WCVM’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. Visit www.canadianveterinarians.net/larounds for more information.
H
PREVIOUS PAGE (left to right): Joni (seven), Val (25), Heathen (20) and Babe
(11). All are registered Paint mares owned by Jack and Shirley Brodsky of
Saskatoon, Sask.
Western College of Veterinary Medicine 13

L A s t i n g
V A L U E
One of the first registered Paints that Shirley and Jack
Brodsky ever brought home to their 160-acre farm near
Saskatoon, Sask., was a flashy, black and white mare named Double Value — or simply Val.
“She was six years old and in foal when we bought her,” says Shirley, recalling the day she first saw Val at a farm near
Brooks, Alta. “I picked her because she was a nice horse.
I liked the look of her — and we liked her working horse bloodlines. She was the first trailer load home when we started breeding Paints.”
What Shirley soon discovered was that her new horse already had a following. “Apparently, as a young mare,
Val had earned quite a show record. She had been shown successfully in cutting, reining and working cow horse events, and she was well known on the show circuit. I really didn’t realize how special she was until we got her home.”
Special is the perfect adjective to describe Val. Now 25 years old and retired, Val has produced nine outstanding foals for the Brodskys — including True Value Too (Trudy), the dam of their present-day stallion, Far Ute Finale (Finnegan).
“We have four generations here,” says Shirley with quiet pride. “There are horses that can never produce as well as themselves, but this is a family line of really good producing mares that out-produce themselves. Every generation gets better than the one before.”
Even after the long, hard winter of 2009, Val’s black coat gleams in the afternoon sun as she and her herdmates
— including 20-year-old A Heathen — graze on clumps of rye grass. Horse Health Lines asks Shirley to talk about the health of her quarter-century mare — and her advice on taking care of older horses.
Q. Has Val had any age-related health problems?
No, Val has always been quite healthy. When she was about 17, we found that we had to supplement her with progesterone because she was reabsorbing early on in pregnancy. Dr. Sue Ashburner (our veterinarian with the WCVM Veterinary
Teaching Hospital’s Field Service) suggested injectable Regumate ® and that was her recipe for success. We supplemented her for her last pregnancies.
Val did have laminitis during one earlier pregnancy, and it looked like we might have to put her down. But our farrier, Norm Kohle, came out and worked with her. She pulled through: she had a healthy delivery and spent a year with special shoes. Afterwards, we debated whether we should breed Val again, but she was so sound in every way that we went ahead. Now she’s fine — barefoot and back in the pasture.
Q. You run your older mares with the younger horses?
I run all ages together as soon as all of my mares have foaled out and have a few weeks to get used to their babies. I think old mares are really good at teaching the young mares — our future broodmares. When they run all together, the younger ones learn what a foal is and how to treat them so it’s not such a big surprise when they have their own. The older mares also teach the younger ones about life lessons, and I just find that they make really good horses down the road if they get an understanding of all those social situations.
Q. Any special tips on feeding Val?
With all of my horses, I try to manage them as close to what would be natural as possible. Throughout the winter, they’re on unlimited hay, they run on an
80-acre pasture and they have shelter from the wind. They have access to a heated water bowl and salt, and sometimes I’ll give them a little grain — whole oats
— when I think they need it. I give them a supplement block with trace minerals every second week or so. That’s about it — it’s nothing very fancy.
One of the tricks that I’ve learned over the years is that the horses really have an appetite in the fall: I think they’re laying down a layer of fat in preparation for the winter. That’s why I really try to make sure that they have all they can eat in the fall. Once the pastures start to burn off, I’ll start hauling in hay — that can be as early as August, especially for the nursing mares.
Q. How did Val and your older mares fare during this past winter?
The older mares seemed to handle it well — I was more concerned about the new foals when we kept getting cold weather in April and May. I build a lot of wind shelters with round straw bales, and long as they can get out of the wind and have lots to eat, they seem to be able to cope. I did supplement our horses with grain toward the end of winter. I like to soak whole oats with beet pulp, hot water and some canola oil — it just seems to give them a head start on digestion.
Q. How does your feeding regime change in the spring months?
Since the pasture isn’t very good yet after all of the cold weather, the horses still get hay. Actually, I usually give them free choice hay until the pastures are good enough that they leave the hay. That way, we never get that jump between hay and fresh grass. We’ve had a little bit of colic but not very much considering the number of horses that we’ve had over the years.
Q. What value do you see in keeping Val and her older herdmates?
These horses are very valuable to us. Val and Heathen don’t owe me anything
— they’ve earned their spot on the farm. They also add a real balance to the herd and they really teach the young ones to be good horses. They know where the fence lines are, they know the rules of the road, and they keep everybody on track. H
14 Horse Health Lines • Summer 2009

FROM YOU!
Visit www.ehrf.usask.ca to enter our survey and our book draw!
DEADLINE: AUGUST 15!
How are we doing? Does Horse Health Lines give you insight into new horse health projects at the Western College of
Veterinary Medicine? Do you find useful horse health management tips between our covers? Have you enjoyed reading about some of our faculty, students and donors in past issues?
To help us ensure that Horse Health Lines continues to be a vital resource for our readers, we want to hear from you! Please take about five to 10 minutes to visit www.ehrf.usask.ca, respond to the Horse Health Lines survey questions and let us know what you think. We look forward to hearing from you!
Complete and submit your survey before August 15,
2009 , and we’ll enter your name in a draw for one of several horse health care books including the Merck-Merial Manual for Pet Health and the University of California Davis Book of
Horses — A Complete Medical Reference Guide for Horses and
Foal s.
D O N ’ T M I S S
V E T A V I S I O N !
Ever wondered about what you’ll find inside the doors of the Western
College of Veterinary Medicine? Curious about the hectic life of a veterinary student? Intrigued by the world of veterinary medicine?
Eager to learn more about animal health care? Come to Vetavision
2009 and you’ll find answers to all of your questions — PLUS all kinds of creatures to visit!
Dates: Thursday to Sunday, October 1-4, 2009.
Admission: $2 for preschool children, $5 for seniors and students, $10 for adults and $20 for families. Groups: $3 per student.
Location: WCVM, University of Saskatchewan campus, Saskatoon, Sask.
What is Vetavision? A four-day veterinary exposition that’s organized for the public by WCVM veterinary students.
Who can come? Children, students and adults of all ages are welcome to visit the newly expanded and renovated veterinary college. Bring the whole family!
What will we see? A wide range of displays, demonstrations and talks that showcase animal health care, research, veterinary careers and public health. Of course, you’ll also see plenty of animals — including horses!
Where can I find more details? Visit www.vetavision.ca for a list of displays, maps, and a Vetavision brochure.
What about student tours? yes! It’s not too late to book a tour. Please call 306-966-5020 or send a message to info@vetavision.ca to arrange a tour for your group. Admission is $3 per student for group tours.
ABOVE: Vetavision visitors try their hands at the equine reproduction display.

LINK TO MINERAL DEFICIENCY?
This year, WCVM researchers are working with the University of Kentucky to investigate a deadly problem in pregnant mares. Led by veterinary pathologist Dr.
Andy Allen, this study focuses on the potential association between liver concentrations of copper and iron and pregnant mares dying of hemmorhage from ruptured uterine arteries.
While this issue has been recognized as a sporadic cause of death among older pregnant and parturient mares for years, little research has been published about this condition’s development and its potential link to copper and iron deficiencies in affected mares.
What researchers want to determine is whether mares dying of this condition have different concentrations of copper, iron or both minerals in their livers compared to other mares dying for other reasons.
The study is a collaborative effort between
Allen, WCVM toxicologist Dr. Barry Blakley and five scientists at the University of Kentucky’s Livestock
Disease Diagnostic Center (LDDC) where Allen spent a sabbatical leave in 2007.
The team’s LDDC members include Dr.
Cynthia Gaskill, section chief for the Center’s toxicology laboratory, along with four veterinary pathologists: Drs. Uneeda Bryant, Laura Kennedy,
Lynne Cassone and Alan Loynachan.
Based in Kentucky’s Bluegrass region — the heart of America’s Thoroughbred breeding industry
— the LDDC’s key location enables the research team to collect enough samples for this project within a short period of time. Allen and summer research student Jasmine Dhillon will select up to
100 liver samples from female horses submitted to the LDDC for postmortem examinations this year.
The samples, which will be included in one of four study groups, will then be analyzed for mineral concentrations. If researchers find an association between the condition and copper and iron concentrations, supplementing the diet of atrisk mares with copper, iron or both minerals may prevent future cases.
The study received more than $12,900 from
WCVM’s $770,000 share of Canada’s largest class action settlement. Stemming from the alleged pricefixing of vitamins, the $132-million settlement was distributed among universities, research centres and consumer groups in 2006.
EHRF ON DISPLAY: WCVM representatives have promoted the EHRF at several events:
• 2008 Mane Event in Chilliwack, B.C.:
Drs. Fernando Marqués and Ryan Wolker , along with veterinary student Hayley Lang , gave live horse demonstrations and talked about the
Fund’s programs with Mane Event visitors.
• 2009 Alberta Horse Breeders and Own ers Conference: Dr. Steve Manning teamed up with veterinary students Trevor Hook, Dane
Tatarniuk and Danyse Lewis to promote equine research during the Red Deer event. Dr.
Fernando Marqués was one of the conference’s speakers.
• 2009 Saskatchewan Horse Federation  meeting: Drs. Katharina Lohmann and
Fernando Marqués gave presentations during the annual SHF conference in Saskatoon, Sask.
EQUINE WELFARE AWARDS: In March 2009, the Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Horse Federation honoured representatives of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in three of the four categories for the 2009 Awards of Distinction for
Equine Welfare:
• Equine Welfare Innovation — Award  of Distinction: Dr. James Carmalt , Department of
Large Animal Clinical Sciences (LACS). The award recognized Carmalt’s innovative work in dentistry and the development of a technique to aid in hock joint repair.
•  Equine Welfare Leadership — Award  of Distinction : Dr. Nathalie Tokateloff , LACS, and Dr. Kristin Poirier, formerly of LACS. The joint award recognized Tokateloff and Poirier’s outstanding guidance in addressing the acute needs of horses affected throughout the 2008 equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) outbreak in the Saskatoon area.
• Equine Welfare Communication
– Award of Distinction: Drs. Katharina
Lohmann and Hugh Townsend , LACS, and Myrna
MacDonald , WCVM. The SHF and FACS honoured
Lohmann and Townsend for their outstanding communications skills during the 2008 EHV-1 outbreak.
MacDonald was part of the College’s communications team.
A fourth award for the Equine Welfare Steward of the Future was presented to 18-year-old Shawna
Sawatsky of Saskatoon, Sask. Sawatsky was recognized for her exemplary attitudes and habits in caring for horses under her charge. For more information about the annual awards program, visit www.saskhorse.ca or www.facs.sk.ca.
Printing Services Document Solutions • 306-966-6639 • University of Saskatchewan • CUPE 1975