Equine Clinic a Success for Students

February 23, 2010

Two veterinary students examine a horse at the clinic.
jaustinphotography.com

HSVMA recently teamed up with Northwest Equine Stewardship Center (NWESC) in Monroe, Washington, to offer an equine castration clinic for Oregon State University and Washington State University veterinary students.

The openings for students filled quickly with 10 students from OSU and 2 from WSU participating, ranging from first- to third- year students.

Dr. Kelli Taylor, a WSU graduate from Evergreen Holistic Veterinary Care, and Dr. Matthew Wesley, an OSU graduate from Chuckanut Valley Veterinary Clinic, were on hand to mentor the students and supervise the procedures.

All of the horses in the clinic had been recently rescued from neglect and abuse cases, so the clinic not only provided hands-on experience for the students, but also much needed veterinary care for the horses.

According to OSU student Ragan Garrett, "The castration clinic was a big hit. It was a long day, but we did some dentals and a lameness work up as well, which kept things interesting!"

In the end, students were able to castrate four stallions, and performed IV catheter placement, sedation injections, dental floats, and lameness exams. All of the horses recovered nicely after their procedures, and will be ready for adoption soon.

The students expressed that they gained significant experience at the clinic and hope to participate in similar clinics in the future.

The next clinic will be Equine Dentistry in March, and space is limited. Please contact Dr. Hannah Evergreen to sign up.