Peterson & Smith Equine Reproduction Center (PSERC) had another successful year in 2013. Our embryo transfer program enjoyed the high standard of success we have been able to maintain for almost 15 years. We continued to share in our client’s success through our mare and stallion management services. The promising Arabian stallion, Trussardi, was added to our resident stallion roster and had a very successful cooled semen campaign. We were also able to freeze and export Trussardi’s semen to Australia and are anticipating the arrival of his first foals “downunder” later in 2014. We thank Tamworth Veterinary Center for their assistance in opening this new market for Trussardi, as well as their continued support in the management of the Australian distribution program for Smart Sugar Badger, another resident stallion.
Last year we took a significant step in our continued commitment to education. Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital has been teaching equine veterinary skills to our interns, externs and residents for decades during our own private wet lab teaching series. In 2013, we expanded on our in-house program and introduced the Equine Veterinary Skills Practicum. The practicum is an educational program designed to help veterinary students and veterinarians expand their knowledge and gain valuable hands-on training. The course is excellent preparation for veterinary board exams as well as giving participants’ technical training in many areas of equine practice. The Practicum is held at the Equine Reproduction Center during six sessions in the Fall. Each session consists of five intensive days of instruction. With the help of our industry partners, this program proved to be very successful and we are looking forward to the 2014 sessions.
With spring just around the corner and the days getting longer, PSERC is actively preparing for the 2014 breeding season. Foaling season is off to a great start, and we have already welcomed the arrival of six healthy foals. As the cornerstone of our embryo transfer program, we maintain a large recipient mare herd for in-house embryo transfers, as well as for embryos that are shipped to us from all over the country. To help ensure that they are cycling and ready for the first embryo transfers of the year, the mares have been under lights since the Fall. As part of our commitment to provide cutting-edge reproductive services, we are also continuing to develop our ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection) program.
Our stallion services are also off to a good start. We are currently freezing stallions for both domestic and international distribution prior to their transition into fresh/cooled semen programs for the upcoming breeding season. We are excited to welcome back Trussardi (Stival x Precious As Gold) and Smart Sugar Badger (Smart Little Lena x Badger San Doc) and are looking forward to helping them enjoy another successful season in 2014.
The start of the breeding is also a time for new faces at our facility. We are currently welcoming and training an outstanding group of interns for the upcoming 2014 season. Presently, we have eight interns representing the following institutions of higher learning; University of Tennessee, University of Georgia, Kansas State University, University of Florida, and Ole Miss. They are part of our undergraduate internship program and are responsible for the daily care of our client horses as well as our recipient mares. They also assist our veterinarians and staff with our full line of reproductive services. This very successful program allows students to gain more experience in a veterinary setting through complete immersion in the field of equine reproduction before moving on to vet school, graduate school, or other careers in the equine industry.
Click here to learn more about us as well as our main referral hospital. We wish you a very successful 2014 breeding season!
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