Bilingual Education and a Sense of Community at the 2025 UC Davis Equine Health Symposium
The nearly 200 participants at the UC Davis Equine Health Symposium clearly agreed on one thing – they learned a lot. For the second year, the event featured tracks in English and Spanish covering topics ranging from equine reproduction to preventive care. It brought equine enthusiasts representing a wide range of age groups and experience levels together for lectures and hands-on learning opportunities.
“It was exciting to bring the symposium back for a second year and provide educational opportunities for both English and Spanish speaking participants,” said Dr. Emily Berryhill, an equine internal medicine specialist at the UC Davis veterinary hospital who helped organize the event. “The students did a great job, and the speakers are fabulous at sharing information that is relevant to anyone who likes horses, whether they are contemplating getting a first horse or have been part of the industry for years.”
Presented by the UC Davis veterinary hospital’s Large Animal Clinic in conjunction with the UC Davis Equine Medicine Club, the symposium welcomed horse lovers from across the state. Participants were excited to learn from UC Davis equine experts, pick up practical skills, meet like-minded people, and simply talk about horses.
Many stated early in the day that they felt a renewed sense of community.
“Horse people often have an immediate connection,” remarked a participant who is new to the Sacramento area and was excited to meet members of the local community. “There’s always a lot to talk about when you have a shared passion for horses.”
“We are incredibly proud to host an event bringing the horse community together while also making equine education more accessible to anyone with a passion for horses,” said Annika Bram, Class of 2026 DVM candidate and president of the UC Davis Equine Medicine Club. “It was amazing to see horse enthusiasts of all ages, experience levels, and disciplines come together to celebrate their love of horses.”
During the morning session, participants in the English track could choose to attend lectures on emergency preparedness, assisted reproductive techniques and placentitis, wounds, street nails, and trauma injuries, preventative medicine, colic, and foals. Lectures in the Spanish track included reproductive management in mares and stallions, common neurological and neuromuscular diseases, and common medications in horses.
In the afternoon interactive demonstrations for both tracks, participants practiced giving injections on specially designed fiberglass horse models, brushed up on the anatomy of the equine lower leg by examining a variety of specimens and models, and learned about the ins and outs of foaling.
Planning is already underway for the 2026 Equine Health Symposium. We hope to see you there!
Special thanks to the sponsors that helped make the event possible - Dechra, Elk Grove Milling, Higby’s Country Feed, the Northern California Association of Equine Practitioners, Platinum Performance, Triple Crown Feed, the Virginia Perry Wilson Endowment, and Zoetis.
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