Skip to main content
College of Veterinary Medicine

Horseman’s Forum Provides Valuable Education Opportunity for Equine Enthusiasts

February 14, 2020

Dr. Lescun speaks to a full-house in the Lynn Hall lecture room.
Dr. Timothy Lescun introduced Dr. Alec Davern of the Centaur Equine Specialty Hospital as one of the speakers at the 2020 Horseman’s Forum.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine welcomed over 200 attendees to the 2020 Horseman’s Forum at Lynn Hall this past weekend. The annual event is aimed at educating horse owners and equine professionals about today’s horse health issues.

Registered participants from across Indiana as well as Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio came to the day-long program on Saturday, February 8. Sessions covered a wide range of topics, with presentations ranging from “Yes? No? What Does ‘Headshaking’ Mean?,” by Dr. Amanda Farr, clinical assistant professor of equine community practice, to “Colic: Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together,” by Dr. Alec Davern, staff surgeon at Centaur Equine Specialty Hospital. The lecture portion of the forum was held in Lynn 1136 throughout the morning, followed by an afternoon of demonstrations performed in the Large Animal Hospital.

  • An attendee reaches her hand inside the horse's mouth guided by Dr. Farr
    Dr. Amanda Farr (center) conducted an examination of a horse’s teeth during one of the demonstrations for Horseman’s Forum attendees.
  • Molly stands beside a horse with a bandage on its leg as attendees gather around her
    Molly Cripe Birt, RVT, VTS-EVN instructed horse owners on proper bandaging protocol.

Participants also learned how to effectively and efficiently bandage a horse’s leg as they watched a demonstration by Large Animal Surgery Technician Molly Cripe Birt, RVT, VTS-EVN.  They also were able to see Dr. Steve Adams, professor of large animal surgery, locate the area of lameness on a moving horse. Additionally, Dr. Farr conducted an equine dental examination while discussing equine dental health, and Dr. Laurent Couëtil, professor of large animal internal medicine, showed attendees PVM’s high-speed equine treadmill in action.

The Horseman’s Forum Committee of Dr. Timothy Lescun, associate professor of large animal surgery, Dr. Sandy Taylor, associate professor of large animal internal medicine, and Dr. Farr worked with the College’s Office of Lifelong Learning to plan and conduct the successful event. The 2020 Horseman’s Forum was sponsored by Dechra, Nutrena, and Zoetis. Planning already is underway for next year’s program, which is being renamed the Equine Wellness Forum, to be held at Lynn Hall on Saturday, February 6, 2021.

  • A crowd watches an equine treadmill demonstration led by Dr. Couetil with assistance from veterinary nurses.
    Dr. Laurent Couëtil pointed out a change in a horse’s gait and breathing as part of a demonstration of the high-speed equine treadmill.
  • Dr. Adams attaches sensors to a special hat on the horse's head as attendees look on
    Dr. Steve Adams demonstrated the use of the Lameness Locator, which is a sensor system that can aid in the diagnosis of lameness.

Writer(s): Maya Sanaba, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

Purdue Equine Hospital Team Comes to Aid of Horse Injured in Severe Storm in Michigan

For a horse named Sassy, Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Brunner Equine Hospital proved to be the right place at the right time to recover from a scary accident that happened during a severe storm in Michigan two weeks ago. According to Dr. Danielle Cucuzella, Purdue visiting assistant professor of large animal surgery, the Quarter Horse named Sassy was seriously hurt during near 100 mile-per-hour winds where she lived in Saint Louis, Michigan.

“Paws Up!” for 4th-year DVM students Colton and Kendall – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week, we celebrate the caring and competence of two members of the new senior class of DVM students for their noteworthy service in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.

College of Veterinary Medicine Graduates Honored at Two Ceremonies During Purdue’s 2026 Commencement Weekend

A change in Purdue University’s traditional commencement weekend schedule resulted in two ceremonies recognizing graduates of the College of Veterinary Medicine in May.  This year, veterinary technology graduates were honored at a ceremony that was separate from the commencement program for the DVM graduates.  That’s because the university recognized all doctoral degree candidates in a single ceremony on Saturday, May 16. As a result, the veterinary technology degree recipients were honored Thursday, May 14, at one of several ceremonies for undergraduate degree candidates. Following that ceremony, the college hosted its traditional oath ceremony for the 2026 graduates of the Purdue Veterinary Technology program in the Purdue Memorial Union North Ballroom.

White Coat Ceremony Celebrates Third-year Veterinary Students’ Transition to Clinical Year

The Purdue Memorial Union ballrooms provided a classic setting for an annual event that has become a cherished tradition of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Members of the DVM Class of 2027 gathered with family, friends, faculty and staff on the evening of April 18 for the annual White Coat Ceremony that signals the transition of the third year veterinary students from the classroom to the clinics.

Popular Purdue Veterinary Medicine Bone Marrow Workshop Goes on the Road to Mexico

An annual program hosted by two bone marrow experts with Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine ties, once again attracted strong attendance but in a new international location. This year, Drs. Joanne B. Messick and Rose E. Raskin were invited to Mexico City to present the Annual Bone Marrow Workshop at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

“Paws Up” for Dr. Madeleine Swindell – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Today we share appreciation for Dr. Madeleine Swindell, who is a Purdue Veterinary Hospital Small Animal Rotating Intern.

Awards Ceremony Honors Outstanding Purdue Veterinary Medicine Staff

Applause and periodic shouts of “Bravo” punctuated the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s annual spring Outstanding Staff and Bravo Awards Ceremony. The program held in Lynn Hall on May 13 honored some two dozen staff members for meritorious accomplishments.