Starting in 1996, James N. Moore, DVM, PhD, a veterinary educator at the University of Georgia (UGA), began to work with Thel Melton, a computer graphics artist in the college, to develop a faster way for students to envision what is happening beneath the skin in horses. The collaboration grew out of the frustration Moore experienced teaching veterinary students about equine colic. While the students clearly were able to master most of the information regarding diagnosis and treatment of colic, many students had difficulty visualizing how some of the diseases occurred. This was particularly true for many intestinal twists and displacements.

Because the College of Veterinary Medicine invested in the hardware and software required to create 3-D models, Melton and Moore were able to create a realistic 3-D model of the horse’s gastrointestinal tract for teaching purposes. They then worked to create animations depicting how intestinal twists and displacements occur. Although the initial goal of this collaboration was to improve teaching at UGA, Moore began to use the animations in lectures for veterinarians and horse owners around the country. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and it culminated in the release of an educational CD called The Glass Horse in 2001. This CD is used throughout the world by veterinary educators, practitioners, veterinary students, and horse owners, and many equine practitioners report that they use the animations to explain various gastrointestinal diseases to their clients.

In 2004, Andy Parks, MA, VetMB, MRCVS, professor and department head of large animal surgery at UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine; Mac Smith, PhD, instructional designer; and computer graphics artist Flint Buchanan joined the group and a CD was released that focused on the horse’s distal limb. This interactive CD, called Elements of the Equine Distal Limb, has been well received by veterinarians, veterinary students, farriers, and horse owners. It makes sense of the anatomy and shows how the hoof grows, a concept that often is hard to understand. Earlier this year, Elements of the Equine Distal Limb received the Frank Netter Award for Special Contributions to Medical Education for 2005. This award recognizes excellence in the development of visually oriented educational materials that positively impact the way health sciences are taught.

The Glass Horse group has three new educational projects underway: An updated CD on equine colic for veterinarians and veterinary students; a DVD on equine colic for horse owners; and their first Glass Dog CD on the anatomy of the dog’s thorax and abdomen. The equine colic CD and DVD will utilize a much-improved 3-D model that more accurately reflects the horse’s gastrointestinal tract, new animations of other conditions that cause colic, and additional information about the techniques used by the veterinarian to make the diagnosis in horses with colic. All three projects are expected to be completed in 2006 and will be the highlight of a decade of work at the University of Georgia