News
Horse Health Lines (Fall 2025) now online
September 26th, 2025
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The Fall 2025 issue of Horse Health Lines, news publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Townsend Equine Health Research Fund, is now online. • Click here to view Horse Health Lines (digital edition) • Download Horse Health Lines (PDF) Here’s a quick look at the stories inside this issue. Turning off the tap. Botox aids wound healing. An eight-year-old quarter horse named Coffee was brought in …
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Bubbles and Biscuit: foaling models at WCVM
When Dr. June Donaldson (MBA, EdD) saw Bubbles the mare model for the first time, she did what anyone might do when reuniting with a beloved childhood horse: she kissed it on the nose. “I just walked right up and kissed her,” she says with a laugh. “It was just so touching.” The horse, of course, wasn’t real. But to Donaldson, …
June 20th, 2025 Full story »
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One curious equestrian
From the show-jumping arenas of her youth to the labs of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), Dr. Madison Ricard’s passion for horses has driven her every step of the way in her academic career. The horse enthusiast received her PhD in anatomic pathology at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Fall Convocation in November 2024. Ricard’s doctoral research sheds …
March 03rd, 2025 Full story »
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Healing or harming?
Imagine you’ve been battling a relentless respiratory infection for days. Exhausted and desperate for relief, you head to the doctor, expecting a quick fix from a course of antibiotics. Instead, you discover that the bacteria causing your illness are resistant to every available drug, leaving you with no effective treatment options. This frightening scenario could become a reality due to …
March 03rd, 2025 Full story »
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Head of the class
A recent pair of grants from Merck Animal Health Canada has helped the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) take strides to enhance its equine health teaching tools. Merck’s grants, valued at more than $50,000, highlight a longstanding partnership between the company and the WCVM. While Merck’s contributions have supported various initiatives over the years, the company’s most recent investment …
March 03rd, 2025 Full story »
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Horse Health Lines (Spring 2025) online
The Spring 2025 issue of Horse Health Lines, news publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Townsend Equine Health Research Fund, is now online. Click here to view Horse Health Lines (digital edition) Download Horse Health Lines (PDF) Here’s a quick look inside the issue: Head of the class. A recent pair of grants from Merck Animal Health Canada has helped the Western …
March 03rd, 2025 Full story »
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Switching ‘off’ equine herpsesvirus
The Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has awarded US$99,846 over three years to University of Saskatchewan virologist Dr. Kristen Conn in support of foundational research targeting equine herpesvirus (EHV). One of the most common EHV species is EHV-1, a highly infectious virus that can cause serious illness including respiratory disease, neurological disease, abortions and neonatal death. Current vaccines don’t prevent EHV-1 …
September 01st, 2024 Full story »
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Pumping up equine health
Imagine being able to diagnose equine myocardial disease — diseases that affect horses’ heart muscles — quickly, accurately and right at the barn. That’s the goal of new research at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), where researchers will explore the value of implementing blood test that can produce results in just 10 minutes. Dr. Vanessa Cowan (DVM, PhD), …
September 01st, 2024 Full story »
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Horse health recharged
This spring, researchers and graduate students based at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) received over $132,000 in support of equine health studies and student training. The funding supports three equine health research projects, a summer research student award, two graduate tuition awards and a graduate research fellowship. While the bulk of the funding stems from the college’s Townsend …
September 01st, 2024 Full story »
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Workshops make equine anatomy come alive
Tired of memorizing the intricacies of equine anatomy? Put that textbook aside — Dr. Madison Ricard (DVM, PhD) offers an entertaining way to help make learning about horses’ limbs, organs and systems much more memorable for people of all ages. Ricard is a veterinarian, a board-certified pathologist and a lecturer at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). While completing …
September 01st, 2024 Full story »
