Racehorse Respiratory Health Course

This online offering will be available FREE to the first 100 AGCO licence holders and/or Standardbred Canada members who enroll.

A horse with steam coming out its nostrils in the winter.

Respiratory issues can significantly impact performance on the track. (horsemen - stock.adobe.com)

By: Jackie Bellamy-Zions, Equine Guelph | December 13, 2024

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you're listening to an article from canadian thoroughbred.com. racehorse respiratory health course by: jackie bellamy-zions, equine guelph |. equine guelph is excited to announce the return of its highly-popular online course, racehorse respiratory health, designed exclusively for the horse racing industry. this comprehensive two-week course, running from january 27 to february 7, 2025, offers invaluable insights into maintaining and improving the respiratory health of racehorses. thanks to a partnership between equine guelph and ontario racing, standardbred canada, the horsemen’s benevolent and protective association (hbpa) and central ontario standardbred association (cosa) this offering will be available free (value of $95) to the first 100 agco licence holders and/or standardbred canada members who enroll. respiratory issues are a leading concern for racehorse trainers and grooms, significantly impacting performance on the track. this course addresses these concerns by providing practical, evidence-based strategies to reduce respiratory risks and enhance the overall health and performance of racehorses. advertisement scroll to continue with content participants will gain a deep understanding of common respiratory diseases, and effective management practices to help prevent them. the course is designed to be flexible and accessible, allowing participants to log in anytime and engage with instructors, guest experts, and peers through an interactive discussion forum. renowned veterinarians sarah shaw and amy lack will return as the course co-instructors for the racehorse respiratory health online course. dr. sarah shaw is a private practice owner and a large animal internal medicine specialist working in ontario, canada. after graduating from the ontario veterinary college, she spent one year in a large animal ambulatory practice and then completed an internship at the equine medical center of ocala. she then pursued a large animal internal medicine residency at texas a&m where her research focused on rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. in 2016, dr. shaw began working at rotenberg veterinary p.c., a practice with a focus on thoroughbred mares, foals, sales yearlings, and racehorses. concurrently, she has developed a diverse equine internal medicine referral caseload and is an adjunct professor at the ontario veterinary college. dr. amy lack grew up riding and showing horses in western new york. she obtained her doctor of veterinary medicine from the university of missouri in 2015 and completed a residency in internal medicine at mississippi state university in 2019. during her residency, she completed a master’s thesis with a focus on equine asthma. amy joined the large animal internal medicine service at the ontario veterinary college in july of 2020. dr. shaw and dr. lack will be discussing common respiratory issues for racehorses as well as early detection and prevention. everything from feeding, bedding, trailering and environment can have an impact on respiratory health. going the extra mile learning the anatomy of the horse’s respiratory system, will increase understanding of how these obligate nose-breathers differ from humans. you will come away with management strategies to facilitate optimal performance. shaw and lack will also be joined by industry ambassadors, julie walker and renée kierans, who will be on-hand as peer helpers to assist students and ask questions on hot topics. past participants have praised the course for its practical approach and the opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field. one participant noted, “the more we learn about our equine athletes, the better stewards we will be to these magnificent animals.”. trainers, grooms, owners – sign up now for the free racehorse respiratory health online course starting jan 27. help your racehorses reach their full potential. for those who have never taken an online course before, no prior online learning experience is required. limited registrations available. save the date for the next exclusive course feb 24 – mar 7: racehorse gut health & ulcer/colic prevention which will also be available for free to agco licensees & standardbred canada members! what other course topics interests you? racehorse nutrition? hoof care health? racehorse conditioning? we want to know so we can develop more of the courses you are interested in. take the 2-3 minute poll.

Equine Guelph is excited to announce the return of its highly-popular online course, Racehorse Respiratory Health, designed exclusively for the horse racing industry. This comprehensive two-week course, running from January 27 to February 7, 2025, offers invaluable insights into maintaining and improving the respiratory health of racehorses.

Thanks to a partnership between Equine Guelph and Ontario Racing, Standardbred Canada, The Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) and Central Ontario Standardbred Association (COSA) this offering will be available FREE (value of $95) to the first 100 AGCO licence holders and/or Standardbred Canada members who enroll.

Respiratory issues are a leading concern for racehorse trainers and grooms, significantly impacting performance on the track. This course addresses these concerns by providing practical, evidence-based strategies to reduce respiratory risks and enhance the overall health and performance of racehorses.

Scroll to continue with content

Participants will gain a deep understanding of common respiratory diseases, and effective management practices to help prevent them. The course is designed to be flexible and accessible, allowing participants to log in anytime and engage with instructors, guest experts, and peers through an interactive discussion forum.

Renowned veterinarians Sarah Shaw and Amy Lack will return as the course co-instructors for the Racehorse Respiratory Health online course.

Dr. Sarah Shaw is a private practice owner and a large animal internal medicine specialist working in Ontario, Canada. After graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College, she spent one year in a large animal ambulatory practice and then completed an internship at the Equine Medical Center of Ocala. She then pursued a large animal internal medicine residency at Texas A&M where her research focused on Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. In 2016, Dr. Shaw began working at Rotenberg Veterinary P.C., a practice with a focus on Thoroughbred mares, foals, sales yearlings, and racehorses. Concurrently, she has developed a diverse equine internal medicine referral caseload and is an adjunct professor at the Ontario Veterinary College.

Dr. Amy Lack grew up riding and showing horses in western New York. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri in 2015 and completed a residency in internal medicine at Mississippi State University in 2019. During her residency, she completed a Master’s thesis with a focus on Equine Asthma. Amy joined the Large Animal Internal Medicine service at the Ontario Veterinary College in July of 2020.

Dr. Shaw and Dr. Lack will be discussing common respiratory issues for racehorses as well as early detection and prevention. Everything from feeding, bedding, trailering and environment can have an impact on respiratory health.

Going the extra mile learning the anatomy of the horse’s respiratory system, will increase understanding of how these obligate nose-breathers differ from humans. You will come away with management strategies to facilitate optimal performance.

Shaw and Lack will also be joined by Industry Ambassadors, Julie Walker and Renée Kierans, who will be on-hand as peer helpers to assist students and ask questions on hot topics.

Past participants have praised the course for its practical approach and the opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field. One participant noted, “The more we learn about our equine athletes, the better stewards we will be to these magnificent animals.”

Trainers, Grooms, Owners – Sign up now for the FREE Racehorse Respiratory Health online course starting Jan 27. Help your racehorses reach their full potential. For those who have never taken an online course before, no prior online learning experience is required. Limited registrations available.

Save the date for the next exclusive course Feb 24 – Mar 7: Racehorse Gut Health & Ulcer/Colic Prevention which will also be available for FREE to AGCO Licensees & Standardbred Canada members!

What other course topics interests you? Racehorse nutrition? Hoof care health? Racehorse conditioning? We want to know so we can develop more of the courses you are interested in. Take the 2-3 minute poll.