Rossdales Foal Care Course 2024

Emily is a member of the internal medicine team at Rossdales Equine Hospital and has a particular interest in equine neonatology. She joined Rossdales in 2009 and became a partner in April 2016 and a clinical director in 2021.

Emily's main role is working within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, in addition to working within the internal medicine department. In 2012, she became an RCVS Specialist in Equine Medicine (Internal Medicine), having been awarded recognised specialist status by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). She is also a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, which she achieved during 3 years at the University of California's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at Davis prior to joining Rossdales.

She has completed a number of research projects related to neonatal foal conditions and has published and lectured widely on the subject.

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Dr Niamh Collins graduated from University College Dublin in 2001.

Following a surgical internship at University College Dublin, she undertook a year in equine stud practice in Southwest Ireland. Niamh then undertook a Residency in Equine Internal Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. During her residency, she was awarded a Master of Science with distinction for research into equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. Niamh was part of the equine medicine service at Rossdales Equine Hospital, Newmarket for two foal seasons before joining the team at Scone Equine Hospital’s Clovelly Intensive Care Unit in July 2008.

Niamh became a Diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine in 2011 and the Superintendent of the Scone Equine Hospital ICU in 2015. Niamh’s clinical interests include neonatology, critical care and cardiology. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and veterinary textbooks on a variety of equine medicine and surgery topics and been awarded a number of prizes for her research and publications, including the EVA Peter Irwin Literary Award in 2012 and the EVA Equine Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Award in 2014.

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Charlotte is a specialist in Internal Medicine, who joined the medicine team team at Rossdales Equine Hospital in August 2019.

She graduated from the University of Cambridge Veterinary school in 2012 and then completed an internship in equine medicine and surgery at the Dubai Equine Hospital. Following this she went on to complete a year working in equine private practice in Australia, after which she undertook a fellowship in internal medicine at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky, USA.

On completion of her fellowship, she moved to California to complete a 3-year residency in large animal internal medicine at the University of Davis, California and was awarded ACVIM diplomate status in 2018. She subsequently remained at UC Davis as a staff veterinarian in equine medicine and field service prior to joining Rossdales. She became an RCVS recognised Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine in 2021.

Charlotte is interested in all areas of medicine but particularly enjoys neonatal medicine, and investigating respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurological diseases.

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Claudia joined Rossdales Equine Hospital as a Specialist in Equine Anaesthesia and Emergency Medical Care in early 2023.

She graduated from the University of Leipzig, Germany in 2009 and for the next two years worked as a first opinion vet in small animal and mixed animal private practice in Germany. She then spent 4 years as an equine veterinarian in a referral clinic and as a research assistant at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, where she completed her doctoral thesis (DrMedVet) entitled “Influence of origin and isolation method on cell biological features of equine mesenchymal stromal cells”.

Claudia subsequently completed a 3 year residency at University of Leipzig, working towards becoming a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (ECVAA). During her residency, she was Anaesthesia team leader in the Equine Clinic at the University and she was also a consultant for research groups. She became a diplomate of the ECVAA in 2021.

In 2019, Claudia moved to the UK to become a Clinical Anaesthetist at University of Cambridge Vet School, where she remained until she joined Rossdales in 2023.

Claudia’s research interests include ventilation pattern during anaesthesia, LPS and equine anaesthesia, and pain assessment in horses. She regularly reviews papers for international journals and she has been a guest editor for an international veterinary journal.

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Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons

Abigail joined the team of specialist surgeons at Rossdales Equine Hospital in early 2023, having returned to the UK after working for 7 years at Peterson and Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala, Florida.

She qualified from The Royal Veterinary College in 2012 and spent a year in mixed practice in Lincolnshire before pursuing her interest in equine surgery with a move to the USA. She then completed a rotating surgical internship at San Luis Rey Equine Hospital, California before undertaking a surgical residency at Peterson and Smith Equine Hospital, Ocala, Florida. Upon completion of her residency, she became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). She continued at Peterson and Smith as an Associate Surgeon, where she was particularly interested in Thoroughbred breeding, sales and the racing industry, as well as treating and working on Sport Horses to improve poor performance.

Abigail is experienced in all aspects of equine elective and emergency surgery and has a particular interest in orthopaedics, specifically arthroscopy, angular limb correction and fracture repair. She also enjoys minimally invasive (laparoscopic) and upper airway surgery.

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Catriona (Cat) is a member of the internal medicine team at Rossdales Equine Hospital. She joined the partnership at Rossdales in April 2020 and became a clinical director in 2021.

She graduated from the University of Glasgow Veterinary School in 2006 and in the same year passed her North American Veterinary Licensing Examination. Following a short spell in mixed practice, she moved to Kentucky where she undertook an Internal Medicine Fellowship at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.

On returning to the UK, she joined Rossdales Equine Hospital in 2009 to undertake a two-year internship and subsequently joined the stud team in Newmarket, where she worked for three years and was awarded the Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (Equine Medicine) in January 2014.

Cat then undertook a three-year residency in Equine Medicine at the University of Liverpool, where she studied towards her European College of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM) diploma and was awarded an MSc in 2016. She rejoined the hospital medicine team at Rossdales in early 2017 and a year later she was awarded ECEIM diplomate status. In early 2019 she became an RCVS recognised Specialist.

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Dr Peter Morresey is a member by examination of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists and holds Diplomate status in both the American College of Theriogenologists and the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

He graduated from Massey University, in New Zealand, in 1988. He worked in mixed animal practice and then at a renowned equine/dairy practice in Matamata, in the heart of the Thoroughbred breeding region, until he accepted a Theriogenology residency in 1996 at the University of Florida. He then accepted clinical faculty position at University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Center, where he was part of the ambulatory equine service. He began working at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2005, where he is now a shareholder.

Dr Morresey’s is busy all spring with the many and varied problems faced by neonatal foals and high-risk pregnancies. The large caseload has allowed participation in many clinical collaborative research studies seeking to better understand and improve equine neonatal health. His interests are broad and include neonatology, neurology, infectious disease and metabolic concerns as they relate to reproductive medicine.

True to his background in education, he is a reviewer and contributor to several leading veterinary journals and author of chapters in veterinary textbooks. He has spoken nationally and internationally on various subjects important to the practice and science of equine veterinary medicine.

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Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Caroline joined Rossdales Equine Hospital as an associate in the specialist internal medicine team in March 2023.

She graduated from the University of Ghent in 2016 and then completed an internship in equine medicine and surgery at Bosdreef Equine Hospital in Belgium. Following this, she joined the medicine team and completed a residency in equine internal medicine at Morette Equine Hospital (Brussels, Belgium) and was awarded ECEIM diplomate status in 2023.

Caroline is interested in all areas of equine medicine but particularly enjoys neonatal and foal medicine, as well as emergency, critical care and nutrition of adult horses and investigating gastrointestinal, respiratory and skin diseases.

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Camilla joined Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons as a reproductive specialist in November 2017.

Following graduation from the Royal Veterinary college in 2006, Camilla undertook a number of positions, including a hospital internship in the UK, an internal medicine fellowship at Haygard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky and multiple stud seasons in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2013 Camilla started a Theriogenology residency at the University of Davis, California specialising in Equine Reproduction. In 2014 she was awarded the RCVS Certificate in Equine Stud Medicine and in 2015 became a board certified diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists.

Camilla then spent two years as a reproductive specialist in private practice in the UK before joining Rossdales. She was awarded recognised specialist status by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2020.

Camilla has served on the scientific committee for conferences in the UK and American and has published on various topics. She has a particular interest in problem mares, high-risk pregnancies, stallion fertility and embryo transfer.

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Assistant Professor, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Mathijs is a Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine (Dipl.ECEIM) working at Utrecht University Equine Hospital.

In his clinical work he focuses mainly on neonatology, gastroenterology and hepatology. He is head of the Equine Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Utrecht University.

After graduating with honours from Utrecht University in 2008, Mathijs started working as a researcher at the University of California in Davis, USA. After that he worked in a large equine referral hospital (Lingehoeve Diergeneeskunde) in the Netherlands before returning to Utrecht University to start his residency in equine internal medicine. He passed his board exams in 2014.

In November 2022 Mathijs defended his PhD thesis entitled ‘Fighting antimicrobial resistance in foal sepsis: does the gut conspire against us?’. His PhD was a collaboration between the Department of Clinical Sciences and the Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University and focused on antimicrobial resistance and the role of the microbiome as a potential reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes (resistome).

Mathijs is actively involved in many research projects and has (co-)authored several scientific publications on topics related to equine neonatology, (molecular) microbiology, gastroenterology and hepatology. He aims to perform high quality research that is relevant for clinical practice.

Mathijs regularly speaks at national and international conferences. He is currently also Chair of the Equid Scientific Advisory Board of the Morris Animal Foundation and Chair of the Advanced Training Advisory Committee of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM).

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Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Dr Ramiro Toribio is a full professor and clinician at the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University. He is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. He does research in Veterinary and Comparative Medicine, Endocrinology, Bone Biology, and Molecular Biology. Recent publications from his lab have shown that critically ill newborn foals have dysregulation of various endocrine systems.

His research team has shown that hypocalcemia, increased PTH, low vitamin D metabolites, and increased progestogens /neurosteroids in sick foals are frequent, and often associated with disease severity and mortality. They have demonstrated abnormalities in the FGF23/klotho axis in critically ill equine neonates.

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