Join leading equine experts for practical strategies to keep racehorses sound and performing at their best

Equine Guelph invites the racing community to join a free online course designed to help prevent injuries and manage lameness in racehorses. This two-week program (5–10 hours/week) is tailored for trainers, grooms, and racing professionals who want to deepen their understanding of equine musculoskeletal health and injury prevention. Free for AGCO license holders and Standardbred Canada (16+). For other members of the racing community, the course is available for a tuition of $95.

Past students have found the course transformative in how they approach training:

“I am looking at horses differently when they move.”

“The videos in the first few units were very helpful. They showed the bones, ligaments, muscle tissue and how they moved/worked together.”

Noticing and addressing subtle cues before the horse becomes lame are key to avoiding long lay-offs due to injury. With input from experienced veterinarians and researchers such as Dr. Jeff Thomason, the course is packed full of practical tips delivered in easy-to-understand video presentations.

Course Instructor: Dr. Melissa McKee

Dr. McKee grew up immersed in the local horse industry, gaining hands-on experience through coaching, training, and competing in multiple disciplines. She worked in a saddlery and apprenticed with a farrier before competing at the advanced level in three-day eventing across the United States. After earning her veterinary degree, she practiced at a large equine referral hospital in New Jersey, specializing in surgery, lameness, medicine, and emergency care. She later worked in Alberta before returning to Ontario as a founding partner of McKee-Pownall Equine Services.

Dr. McKee is certified in Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Therapy (COAC) and has served on multiple American Association of Equine Practitioners committees, including Scholarship, Racing, Education, and Ethics. She also represents the equine sector for the Ontario Animal Health Network. Her professional interests include lameness, diagnostic imaging, MRI, VSMT, and racehorse/sports medicine practice.

Guest Expert: Dr. Albert Torrent

Dr. Torrent earned his LV (Licencia Veterinaria) in 2005 from Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU in Valencia, Spain. He completed internships at leading equine practices across Europe and Canada, as well as at the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. His advanced training includes a large animal surgery residency at University of California-Davis, completed in 2017, and he became an American College of Veterinary Surgeons Diplomate (Large Animal) in 2019.

Currently, Dr. Torrent is an equine emergency surgeon at the Ontario Veterinary College, where he teaches in the DVM and graduate programs. His research focuses on clinically relevant projects that improve equine patient outcomes, with current work on gastrointestinal health and hoof-related issues.

Why take this course?

Noticing subtle cues before a horse becomes lame is key to avoiding long lay-offs and costly injuries. Participants will gain practical tips through easy-to-understand video presentations and interactive discussions with industry ambassadors Julie Walker and Renée Kierans.

Course Details:

• Dates: January 26 – February 6, 2026
• Format: Online, flexible learning,  No prior online learning experience required
• Cost: Free for AGCO license holders and Standardbred Canada (16+). For other members of the racing community, the course is available for a tuition of $95.
• Save your spot: Racehorse Injury Lameness Prevention and Care

“We warmly invite the racing community to join us in a free educational journey on TheHorsePortal.ca,” says Equine Guelph director, Gayle Ecker. “The Racehorse Injury/Lameness Prevention & Care course provides practical tools and expert insights to help racing professionals detect issues early, reduce downtime, and keep horses performing at their peak while prioritizing their long-term health and welfare.”

Also Coming Soon – NEW! Conditioning the Racehorse

Following industry demand, Equine Guelph is launching a new online course – Conditioning the Racehorse (Feb 23 – Mar 6, 2026). This course translates conditioning science into practical strategies for injury prevention and performance enhancement. Learn how different body systems contribute to athletic ability and explore the latest research in exercise science. Learn more and save your spot for Conditioning the Racehorse.

These courses are made possible thanks to the generous support of Central Ontario Standardbred Association, The Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and Standardbred Canada.

Register at TheHorsePortal.ca