OUR TEAM
Meet our course instructors
Management of the Equine Environment
Health & Disease Prevention
Equine Nutrition
Functional Anatomy
Growth & Development
Exercise Physiology
Equine Behaviour
Equine Genetics
Dr. Kathleen Cavanagh
As a horsewoman: worked with horses since I was 9 years old, taught both able-bodied and mentally /physically challenged students, trained horses in my teen years, managed a breeding farm and a pleasure horse barn, had my first horse for 31 years. Currently I am showing primarily in Sport Horse division, Arabian Circuit (hunter, dressage, hack)
As a veterinary educator: currently act as a coach for veterinary student communication skills labs and recently co-authored a textbook. I have written and edited many articles and managed different aspects of educational website/CD development for several clients. In addition to developing comprehensive wellness practice protocols, I have consulted with the CVMA for their online presence to develop a career presentation used across Canada by vets.
back to instructor list
Gayle Ecker
Gayle Ecker conducted research in the area of exercise physiology, with an emphasis on the physiology of prolonged exercise. She has been the Assistant Chef d'Equipe for the Canadian Endurance Team. Gayle has traveled with them to Dubai in the UAE, France and Spain for international FEI competitions including 2 World Endurance Championships and the Pan-Am Endurance Championships. As part of the Canadian team for the "On To Atlanta" research, Gayle studied heat stress, acclimatization and fluid/electrolyte balance and has done private consulting with endurance, eventing and racehorses. She has presented an extensive number of seminars and articles for the horse owner. While promoting education and working with the Office of Open Learning, Gayle developed the Equine Science Certificate program. In her current role as Senior Manager of Equine Guelph, she is involved in the education and communications program for the Equine Industry.
back to instructor list
Dr. Sid Gustafson
Pursuing his lifelong horsemanship interests, Dr Gustafson graduated from Washington State University with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree to specialize in equine sports medicine. His subsequent concern for the mental and physical health challenges that stabling and confinement created for horses led him to the study of equine behavior.
As Equine Studies Program Coordinator for the Natural Horsemanship Program at the University of Montana Western from 2006-2008, Professor Gustafson developed a science-based equine studies curriculum that explored equine behavior and husbandry as well as appropriate contemporary horsemanship. He is currently completing a book on equine behavior and contemporary horse culture to be by published by Eclipse Press entitled The Language of Natural Horsemanship to be released this fall in Lexington, Kentucky.
Sid had the good fortune to be raised with horses in Montana just under the Medicine Line of Alberta, Canada, a country he wandered into horseback often riding with the Blackfeet Indians. He developed an early interest in equine behavior through his exposure to his familys ranching and horse breeding pursuits, where he was witness to feral horses in natural settings on a regular basis.
Sid has raised and trained horses all his life, and continues to do so understanding clearly there is much more to know and appreciate about horses. In addition to consulting and teaching Equine Behavior, Dr Gustafson currently is a seasonal regulatory veterinarian at Finger Lakes Racetrack across Lake Ontario from Guelph in Ontario County, New York, where he represents the horses.
back to instructor list
Dr. Mike
Lindinger
Dr. Mike Lindinger began his training as a comparative animal physiologist during his final two years of undergraduate study at the University of Victoria. His MSc work in the Biology Department of McMaster University involved acid-base and ion transport regulation in amphibians, where he conducted experiments in fish and marine mussels. His focus shifted to mammalian skeletal muscle and human exercise physiology during his PhD research in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University. Joining the faculty at the University of Guelph in late 1987, Mike has continued studies of skeletal muscle ion and acid-base regulation using rodent as well as human and equine muscle preparations. Mike’s research in equine exercise physiology began in 1992, with extensive studies on dehydration of endurance horses, development of an oral electrolyte supplement, physiology of heat stress, heat acclimation and exercise, quantification of fluid and electrolyte shifts during exercise and recovery, determination of the origins of acid-base disturbances during exercise, and non-invasive assessment of hydration status in horses.
back to instructor list
Doug Nash
Doug served as farm manager at Glengate (formerly Cantario Farms) for almost 30 years. Glengate consisted of 3 farms, housing 80 - 100 mares, 8 stallions, and yearlings. In addition to servicing 1200 mares annually with their own stallions, Glengate collected, shipped, froze, evaluated, imported and exported semen for 125 to 140 stallions of all breeds and disciplines. Raised near a commercial standardbred breeding farm and local fairgrounds, Doug spent his youth working on the farm and training and racing in Ontario and Michigan. His first love was always the farm and in l974, he took over the management of a farm with 6 stallions and 130 mares. Since that time, he has personally attended over 2500 foalings and witnessed and participated in the evolution of artificial insemination, the freezing of semen and embryo transplants.
back to instructor list
Dr. Ev Post
Dr. Ev Post grew up with horses and has enjoyed experience in many of the equine disciplines. After graduation from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1997, she moved to England. During the next 5 years, she worked in equine private practice and at the University of Liverpool Large Animal Hospital. She completed a 3-year Equine Surgical Residency with specialization in Orthopedics at that same hospital. Upon moving back to Canada in 2002, she has practiced in the Campbellville, ON area providing first and second opinions for equine cases. She strongly believes continuing education for both the horse owner as well as the veterinarian, coupled with ongoing research are paramount to the welfare of our horses.
back to instructor list
Dr. Susan Raymond
Dr. Susan Raymond is involved with both the communication and industry education programs of Equine Guelph. Susan's past area of research was the improvement of air quality in the stable through stable design and management and has made numerous contributions to industry education both in-print, multimedia and presentation form. Susan has been involved with the horse industry for many years and is a keen rider. Susan has had a variety of experiences within the horse industry, from exercising young racehorses to jumping, dressage and trail rides. Most recently, she has had the opportunity to work endurance horses and has even competed in a number of "ride and ties". "Horses are not only a part of my professional life but are my true passion and take up much of my social life", says Susan.
back to instructor list
Dr. Ioana Sonea
Dr. Ioana Sonea practiced equine medicine (racetrack and pleasure horses) until 1983, when she started a residency in Equine internal medicine at Michigan State University. Upon completion of her residency in 1986, she obtained a Ph.D. in Veterinary Anatomy, and worked as an ambulatory clinician for the Equine Field Service at Michigan State University (1990-1994). After teaching comparative veterinary anatomy and physiologyat the Ontario Veterinary College, Ioana returned to Michigan State, where she currently teaches. Ioana continues to visit Guelph each year to co-facilitate the Guided Tour of Equine Anatomy and Advanced Equine Anatomy workshops. In her spare time Dr. Ioana enjoys dog sports and gardening (can't afford a horse, unfortunately).
back to instructor list
Dr. Jeff Thomason
Jeff is the Anatomy Professor with Biomedical Sciences. The majority of his time is spent teaching anatomy to the veterinary students at the Ontario Veterinary College and carrying out his internationally recognized research on the form and function of the equine hoof. Jeff is a popular speaker amongst horse owners as he has the ability to “bring the anatomy to life” with his presentations. His seminars are well known for his teaching aids as he brings “bits and pieces” for demonstration purposes to give his audience an in-depth view and understanding of the form and function of the horse. Dr. Thomason also teaches the Equine Science Certificate’s Functional Anatomy course.
back to instructor list
Alicia Skelding
Alicia obtained her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Guelph with a major in Animal Science. She went on to pursue a Master of Science in Animal Breeding and Genetics/Toxicology. Her MSc work is focused on identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms and their associations with key bovine inflammatory conditions, namely mastitis and Johnes disease. She also works at the Rockwood Veterinary Clinic as a tech assistant.
Alicia has been involved the equine industry since she was seven years old. She started off riding hunter/jumper which she still enjoys today. She also spends some time schooling young and challenging horses. Furthermore, she has been a volunteer at a mobile equine veterinary clinic and has been working with Equine Guelph since July 2008.
back to instructor list
