Equine Guelph has partnered with Ontario Racing, Standardbred Canada and Central Ontario Standardbred Association (COSA) to offer three online courses in winter of 2023 in priority healthcare areas of respiratory, lameness and gut health. Sponsored by COSA, the Racehorse Respiratory Health course is the final course in this winter series.
The two-week online short course, developed specifically for the horse racing industry, will be offered from March 20 - March 31, 2023 and will be available free (value of $95) to the first 100 Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario licence holders and/or Standardbred Canada members who enroll.
In the 2017 Ontario Horse Racing Industry Survey conducted by Equine Guelph, ‘respiratory issues’ was ranked the top health issue of concern.
Participants will learn daily practices that can optimize health and performance and reduce the risk of respiratory issues in their athletic racehorses. Everything from feeding, bedding, trailering and environment can have an impact on respiratory health.
The last offering of the course quickly filled to capacity and received glowing reviews from the students:
“I didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for this course. Having been around Standardbred racehorses most of my life, I thought I knew a great deal about this subject, but I was surprised there was so much more to learn. I highly recommend taking this course.
“I have taken a few courses with Equine Guelph, but I have to say this one resonated with me the most. I learned so much from this course, and I am so grateful for all of the knowledge. The videos and discussions were extremely helpful and informative. As a racehorse owner, you not only need to have knowledge about how to help your horse’s respiration and avoid respiratory issues, but more importantly, you also need the correct and factual information and knowledge. This course provided that and so much more with the extra resources and articles. I am so grateful to the Course Facilitators, Equine Guelph and The Horse Portal for offering this course! It is so vital to anyone who owns a horse, especially those in the racing industry. I totally recommend this course!”
Doctors Sarah Shaw and Amy Lack will return as the course co-instructors for the Racehorse Respiratory Health online course.
Dr. Sarah Shaw is a private practice owner and a large animal internal medicine specialist working in Ontario, Canada. After graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College, she spent one year in a large animal ambulatory practice and then completed an internship at the Equine Medical Center of Ocala. She then pursued a large animal internal medicine residency at Texas A&M where her research focused on Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. In 2016, Dr. Shaw began working at Rotenberg Veterinary P.C., a practice with a focus on Thoroughbred mares, foals, sales yearlings and racehorses. Concurrently, she has developed a diverse equine internal medicine referral caseload and is an adjunct professor at the Ontario Veterinary College.
Dr. Amy Lack grew up riding and showing horses in western New York. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri in 2015 and completed a residency in internal medicine at Mississippi State University in 2019. During her residency, she completed a Master’s thesis with a focus on Equine Asthma. Dr. Lack joined the Large Animal Internal Medicine service at the Ontario Veterinary College in July of 2020.
Shaw and Lack will be discussing common respiratory issues for racehorses as well as early detection and prevention. Course participants will journey through the anatomy of a horse’s respiratory system and finish the course with an understanding of how these obligate nose-breathers differ from yourself.
Shaw and Lack will also be joined by Industry Ambassadors, Ruleen Lilley and Renée Kierans, who will be on-hand as peer helpers to assist students and ask questions on hot topics.
“We at COSA feel privileged to be able to provide a course in the education of the health and welfare of horses,” said Bill O’Donnell, President, Central Ontario Standardbred Association.
Trainers, grooms and owners can sign up now for the free Racehorse Respiratory Health course, starting March 20. Help your racehorses reach their full potential. For those who have never taken an online course before, no prior online learning experience is required. Limited registrations available. Be sure to hold the dates and register now for this two-week, racing-exclusive online course!
SC members can sign up by visiting TheHorsePortal.ca/SC.
(Equine Guelph)