Veterinarians were offered a unique experience at the Bluegrass Equine Reproduction Symposium. This meeting was for practitioners who wanted to learn more about state-of-the-art technology and practices in equine reproduction, and offered not only lectures, but hands-on labs with leading experts in reproductive ultrasound and semen evaluation. Held Oct. 25-28, 2000, in Lexington, Ky., the conference was hosted by Hagyard-Davidson-McGee Associates (HDM) and featured 21 experts in theriogenology (reproduction).

A series of 120-minute wet labs gave practitioners practical experience with reproductive diagnostics and pathology that they might not have had a chance to master in their everyday practice. Diagnostic ultrasound examination of soft tissue is considered an invaluable skill for veterinarians today, and the reproductive system was highlighted in these educational sessions. Experts showed their colleagues new ways to examine internal structures with ultrasound. Individuals practiced using ultrasound for fetal sexing, as well as for diagnosis of conditions other than pregnancy.

Dickson Varner, DVM, Dipl. ACT, of Texas A&M University, was one of the instructors in the ultrasound and endoscopic examination of the stallion. “I believe that symposium was a very enlightening program for all participants,” he said. “The list of topics focused on that which has immediate impact on the practicing veterinarian.

“The discipline of equine reproduction has made significant strides in recent years with regard to both diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, and the breadth of advanced reproductive technologies is continually expanding. I expect that many of these new technologies will be considered ‘standard operating procedures’ within the next few years,” he added