‘An authentic alternative’: Saskatoon vet college receives life-sized horse models

WATCH: The University of Saskatchewan (U of S) has received a unique donation that will enhance the learning experience for its veterinary students.

The University of Saskatchewan (U of S) has received a unique donation that will enhance the learning experience for its veterinary students.

Two life-sized horse models, a mare and a foal, were donated by Calgary-based author and educator June Donaldson.

The U of S says the models will give students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) a realistic and hands-on way to practice their skills in equine care.

Carolyn Cartwright, manager of the veterinary college’s BJ Hughes Centre for Clinical Learning, says the donation is a significant addition to the college, providing students with a simulated environment to practice their clinical skills.

“Students are better prepared for real-life situations because they have the chance to safely and repeatedly practise procedures in a controlled environment without the added stress of handling live animals,” Cartwright told CTV News.

• Get the latest news from Saskatoon, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

The models will be used to teach students various birthing techniques that veterinarians use to help pregnant mares during normal and abnormal foaling events.

“It’s challenging to arrange for large groups of veterinary students to be on-hand during a live foaling. There’s also a critical window of time for the mare and foal during real-life foaling, which leaves very little time for learning. The models offer an authentic alternative that allows students to develop the skills they need as veterinarians and practise these techniques over and over again,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright says the models are incredibly realistic, allowing students to conduct a palpation and become more familiar with how it should feel when a foal is normally positioned in the birth canal.

“This simulation model allows WCVM instructors to set up abnormal foaling positions — such as when the foal is positioned backwards (breech) — so students can understand and repeatedly practise different techniques that veterinarians can use during difficult births,” Cartwright said.

The models also help students prepare for their objective structured clinical examinations — practical, hands-on tests used to evaluate veterinary students’ clinical skills throughout their four-year veterinary program.

The life-sized horse models were custom-made by Veterinary Simulator Industries, an Alberta-based manufacturer of animal simulator models, and Donaldson worked with the company to personalize the gift, according to a release from the U of S.

WCVM’s program provides training in animal health and disease study. Students have the opportunity to focus on areas like small or large animal care, surgery, medical imaging, and wildlife medicine.