Dr. June Donaldson, an author and educator from Calgary, Alta., purchased a new mare and foal model for the veterinary college's teaching program. (submitted photo/Christina Weese)

By Alice McFarlane

Training vets to assist in Equine births

Life-sized horse models provide real experience to vet students

Apr 16, 2025 | 10:13 AM

Two new life-sized horse models are enhancing the educational experience for veterinary students’ practical skills in assisting pregnant horses and their 35-kilogram babies.

The pair were donated to the BJ Hughes Centre for Clinical Learning at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) by Dr. June Donaldson, an author and educator from Calgary, Alta.

The full-sized mare model is inspired by and named after “Bubbles,” Donaldson’s childhood horse, while the foal is nicknamed “Biscuit” after the famous American racehorse “Seabiscuit.” Donaldson worked closely with Veterinary Simulator Industries (VSI), an Alberta-based manufacturer of animal simulator models, to personalize her gifts. She was able to see a full demonstration of the models at the vet college.

“One of the things that I was told when I saw Biscuit at VSI, and I was trying to pick her up, is that foals can even weigh more than that. So, the amount of strength that vets need to have to do safe foaling is really significant. It’s just amazing,” she said.

Veterinary students will use the synthetic pair to practice various birthing techniques that veterinarians use to help pregnant mares during normal and abnormal foaling events.

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Dr. Claire Card, an equine reproduction specialist at the WCVM, and Dr. Josefina Ghersa, a theriogenology resident, demonstrate the foaling procedure (submitted photo/Christina Weese)

WCVM Dean Dr. Gillian Muir calls the donated model horses “game changers” because they are great preparation for when it is time to do a live delivery.

“It’s a challenging time for the mare and the foal,” she said. “Things happen quickly and there’s often not opportunities for students to be present at a foaling and to learn, and sometimes it’s just not practical or even desirable for large groups of people to be around when mares are foaling.”

“This model provides a realistic alternative, a simulation of a foaling. We can reenact different scenarios, different situations, different presentations of the foal inside the mare, and they can learn about the skills they need and how to manage those foalings in order to safely help that mare deliver the foal. ”

Muir said students can safely practice whatever skills they need, bandaging, suturing, doing surgery, delivering folds, delivering calves safely and repeatedly.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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