Dr. Diego Gomez completed his Ph.D. at the University of Guelph in 2017 under Dr. Scott Weese and Dr. Luis Arroyo working on infectious diseases.  With a keen interest to reduce mortality rates in critically ill horses, Gomez is now in the midst of three important studies – two involving fluid therapies for foals and…

Not long after the 2019 Havemeyer Workshop on Equine Asthma, Dr. Dorothee Bienzle, Ontario Veterinary College, contributed to a large collaborative research paper – The current understanding and future directions of Equine Asthma research.   The air was thick with ideas at the 2019 Havemeyer Workshop, with a broad group of approximately 50 participants made up of microbiologists, clinicians,…

In a recent study, researchers literally get inside the heads of horses and donkeys, looking for relationships between skull morphology and temperament.  Such studies have been conducted in different dog breeds, but little is known when it comes to equids. Associate professor and University of Guelph researcher Dr. Katrina Merkies collaborated on a project with professor…

By Tanja Bornmann (MSc Equine Science, Academic Equitation) Why is it so important for equestrians to become educated about learning theory and its practical application? Because, knowingly or not, in each single encounter with horses we use learning theory tools from our training toolbox. Sometimes, equestrians pick the wrong tools from the toolbox, or do not know…

Radiographs have been found to be insufficient evidence for diagnosing Cervical Facet disease according to a research study by Dr. Judith Koenig and a team of researchers at the Ontario Veterinary College.  In a video interview, Koenig explains some of the complexities of equine osteoarthritis and cervical facet disease. “Osteoarthritis is common in any athlete,” explains…

Horse human interaction studies were discussed in a talk presented by Dr. Katrina Merkies, Ontario Agricultural College at the three day virtual conference hosted by the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES). With around 50 recent horse behavior studies referenced in the 40 minute presentation (and apologies for the many not mentioned), there is an undeniable growing…

Practice makes perfect and veterinarians spend countless hours honing their skills in laboratories before graduating and applying that knowledge in the field.  Anatomical models of the equine neck, created by 3-D printing, are revolutionizing how veterinary students and graduates will practice the precise placement required in ultrasound-guided injections. Dr. Alex zur Linden, radiologist and Ontario Veterinary…

Cryopreservation is the next exciting stage of research in stem cell therapy. Dr. Thomas Koch and his team are working to preserve cartilage chips for long-term storage, which would enable off-the-shelf use to treat localized cartilage defects.  Defects that very often shorten or end horses athletic careers.  Cryopreservation (or vitrification) is the formation of a solid from an aqueous solution without…

Could biologic therapies be the future for treating joint disease?  Ontario Veterinary College researcher, Dr. Mark Hurtig and his team are investigating novel new methods to potentially repair tissue rather than just suppressing the signs of joint disease.  Hurtig also explains the mechanism and contributing factors to fetlock chip fractures stating they can be related to the…

Lameness is a huge focus for Dr. Judith Koenig as a clinician, researcher and instructor at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).  Koenig is also a rider with a keen interest in helping grass roots riders and upcoming high-performance athletes.  In the accompanying video Dr. Koenig explains her current research endeavoring to heal tendon injuries faster and also…

Excerpted from Equine Guelph’s Spring 2010 Research Newsletter Highly fertile in the wild, horses are less so under management conditions that separate the sexes, remove mating choices and often call for foaling early in the year. Humans have been intervening in the breeding of horses for about 5500 years,[1] but research has contributed to the interventions…