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Veterinarians who travel to our farms or homes or see our horses and pets in clinics and hospitals are essential to animal health and well-being. However, this career path is just one of the many doors that a veterinary degree can open. We asked equine veterinarians
with different career paths who work in a variety of roles to share their thoughts on what it means to be an equine veterinarian and their advice for anyone considering the profession.

Summer breaks are the perfect time to gain experience with animals! From volunteering at an animal shelter to walking dogs and going to summer camp, you can pack a lot into just a few weeks!

Check out the UC Davis Pre-College program, 10-day on-campus summer experiences for high-achieving students ages 16–18. Explore areas of interest, live in dorms and collaborate with peers and top researchers. One of the choices is Equine Science but be sure to sign up early as both sessions fill up fast!

Turning a passion for horses into a veterinary career can be very rewarding, but requires dedication, planning, education, and hands-on experience. We have put together a list of 10 things you might not know about becoming an equine veterinarian to help you determine if this is the right career path for you.

Do you enjoy science and helping animals? If so, becoming an equine (horse) veterinarian might be the perfect career for you!

Getting into veterinary school is competitive, but there are things that you can do to start preparing right now. The most important areas to focus on are education and experience, plus a few extra things that can help you stand out.

Becoming a veterinarian requires many years of school and starts with habits and routines that you are building right now.

The Center for Equine Health is excited to welcome Dr. Jessica Morgan as our new Associate Director!

At the Center for Equine Health, one of our most important goals is to help educate and inspire the next generation of veterinary professionals. The growing shortage of equine veterinarians and technicians in many areas of the United States is a challenge that we are determined to help address. Everyone at CEH is passionate about working alongside our colleagues to encourage students of all ages to explore careers in equine veterinary medicine. We hope this issue of the Horse Report inspires someone in your life to join our profession!

The Center for Equine Health is home to 140 very special horses. From American Quarter Horses to warmbloods, former dressage proteges to reining champions, our herd members come from all walks of life. They have settled here for their second careers teaching veterinary students and residents, as well as graduate and undergraduate students.

Gastric ulcers are common and can affect any equid. Whether your horse actively competes on a show circuit or spends leisure time with you on the trail, gastric ulcers can ruin the fun. The availability of seemingly contradictory information can make an already frustrating situation worse. To provide some clarity, we teamed up with UC Davis equine internal medicine specialist Dr. Rana Bozorgmanesh for the most up-to-date information on equine gastric ulcers.

If your horse has suffered from gastric ulcers, you have probably wished for a fast, simple, affordable fix. While there is no magic diet or supplement, we know that dietary changes play a role in reducing risk. A combination of thoughtful feeding, careful management, and veterinary support has been proven to decrease the occurrence of gastric ulcers.

UC Davis Registered Veterinary Technician Harmony Lindberg’s red mare, Carter, went from happy trail horse to gastric ulcer patient, and back again thanks to her owner’s own gut instinct.

Harmony Lindberg describes her chestnut Thoroughbred mare, Carter, as a “food fiend”. So, when Carter suddenly lost interest in her hay one day, she knew something was wrong. “It was such an abrupt change,” she recalled. “It was very out of character.”

Equine gastric ulcers are common, affecting horses of all ages and breeds. These painful sores on the stomach lining are costly to treat and often recur. Prevention is essential to avoid gastric ulcers and prevent relapses after treatment.

The equine stomach has two parts:

Equine gastric ulcers - words no horse owner wants to hear. The unfortunate reality is that many of us have dealt with this condition or are likely to encounter it with our horses at some point. Estimated to affect more than 90% of performance horses, gastric ulcers are a well-known consequence of modern management practices. Both of my competition horses have suffered from gastric ulcers at one point in their careers, which required obtaining an accurate diagnosis to guide proper management.

Born at CEH on February 23, 2018, Petri was the first all-UC Davis foal created by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A happy, healthy foal, Petri spent the first years of her life at CEH. She was adopted by a UC Davis veterinary neurology resident just before her 3rd birthday.

The two are still a team. Now 7-years-old, Petri lives at a local barn and she and her owner train in dressage and enjoy trail rides. According to her owner, she is a big horse with a big personality who loves to work.

It is important to understand the benefits and costs of assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) to ensure alignment with breeding goals. We collaborated with specialists in the UC Davis Equine Reproduction Service and Veterinary Assisted Reproduction (VetART) Laboratory to provide current information on these technologies.

Understanding equine pregnancy is essential to ensuring the best care for mares and foals. In particular, accurate foaling predictions are important for organizing surveillance in case the mare needs veterinary assistance. They also help breeders make decisions about future breeding dates, participation in competitions, and sales.