Equine specialists to visit B.C. horseowners

Specialists from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) will meet with horse enthusiasts in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley during an evening of equine education on Wednesday, March 14.

The event, which begins at 7:00 p.m. and is followed by a reception, will take place at the Creekside Theatre in Winfield, B.C. Local veterinarians, horse owners and riders of all disciplines are invited to attend the free session that will include the following speakers and topics:

• Dr. Hugh Townsend is a professor of large animal medicine at the WCVM whose research interests include equine infectious diseases. He will talk about neurologic equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) and the lessons learned by veterinarians and horse owners from recent disease outbreaks in Canada and the United States.
• Dr. James Carmalt is an equine surgeon and associate professor in the WCVM’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. Carmalt will discuss new techniques in equine diagnostic imaging.
• Dr. Douglas Freeman is dean of the WCVM as well as a specialist in equine theriogenology (reproduction). Freeman will talk about the WCVM’s lasting impact on horse health education, research and clinical services in Western Canada.

The WCVM is the regional veterinary college for all of Western Canada, and through a longstanding agreement with the B.C. government, the college annually accepts 20 B.C.-based students to its four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program.

A number of B.C.-based veterinarians have also taken additional training at the WCVM to specialize in different aspects of horse health. Part of their training and research has been supported by the WCVM’s Equine Health Research Fund (EHRF).

With donations from Western Canada’s horse industry, the EHRF has fueled the WCVM’s highly successful equine health research and training programs since its creation in 1977.