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College of Veterinary Medicine

Saddle Up Saturday for PVM’s Mane Event for Horse Enthusiasts

February 5, 2021

Sandy Taylor sits with foal on a padded mat while the foal's mother stretches her neck over the doorway
Dr. Sandra Taylor, one of the speakers for the 2021 Equine Wellness Forum, treats a foal in the Purdue University Large Animal Hospital neonatal unit, while the foal’s mother looks on.

Calling all horse enthusiasts this Saturday, February 6, for the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s annual Equine Wellness Forum, which this year can be attended without leaving home or office! The annual continuing education program, to be presented in a virtual format, will include a series of lectures about healthcare for horses, with topics ranging from basic preventive health care and husbandry to state-of-the-art medical advancements.

The lectures tomorrow will cover such subjects as customizing the diet of your horse; kidney and liver disease; and neck and back pain in horses.  Another feature will be a testimonial from Dr. Steve Adams, professor of large animal surgery, who will give a presentation entitled, “40 Years of Equine Surgery.”  Additionally, Dean Willie Reed will begin Saturday’s program with a welcome session and update on PVM’s new hospital facilities under construction.

This year marks the first time that the event will be hosted virtually.  In addition to the four lectures offered tomorrow, the program will include four subsequent sessions to be held on Wednesday evenings through March 3. Sessions will be recorded for attendees to view later, but participants must view the sessions live in order to receive the available continuing education credits.

It’s not too late to register! Online registration will be available until 4:00 p.m. (EST) today (February 5). Attendees must register by today’s deadline to attend any or all of the lectures, including the subsequent sessions between now and March 3. Registration for all eight lectures is $40 for standard admission and $25 for students, which is lower than in prior years.

In addition to Dr. Adams, who specializes in equine surgery and has research interests involving the prevention and treatment of orthopedic infections, other speakers for this year’s Equine Wellness Forum include:

  • Amanda Farr, DVM, DABVP (Equine), clinical assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and clinician in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital Equine Field Service, and a member of the Purdue DVM Class of 2001. Her clinical interests include reproduction and dentistry.
  • Jan Hawkins, DVM, DACVS, professor of large animal surgery in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, who will review the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of melanomas in horses. His areas of interests include lasers in veterinary medicine, equine upper respiratory tract disease, and the role of growth factors in osteoarthritis.
  • Tim Lescun, BVSc (Hons), PhD, DACVS, professor of large animal surgery in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, whose clinical interests include orthopedics, lameness, sports medicine, and general equine surgery. Dr. Lescun currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the American College of Veterinary Surgeons Foundation.
  • Sandra Taylor, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, associate professor of large animal internal medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, who researches equine sepsis. Her other areas of focus include equine infectious disease, immunology, virology, and neonatology.
  • Stacy Tinkler, DVM, MPH, DACVIM, clinical associate professor of large animal internal medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, whose interests include international veterinary medicine and global health, infectious disease, and nutrition and metabolic disease, with a particular focus on sustainable veterinary program development for working equids and their caregivers.
  • Sarah Waxman, DVM, MS, DACVS-LA, visiting assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and clinician in the hospital’s Equine Field Service, whose research interests include emergency surgery, wound care, lameness treatment, and joint injections and sepsis.
  • Erin Wilson, DVM, equine nutrition consultant with Nutrena, who earned her DVM degree at Purdue in 2008. Dr. Wilson has a passion for equine medicine and nutrition, and is committed to promoting optimal equine health and client education. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Purdue Veterinary Alumni Association and the Indiana Association of Equine Practitioners.

A special thank you to the sponsors of this year’s virtual Equine Wellness Forum, Nutrena, ProElite, and Zoetis.

Click here to learn more. Click here to register.

Writer(s): Jonathan Martz, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu

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