NC State CVM Equine Health Symposium

February 22, 2025 • Presented by the NC State SCAAEP

Photo by John Joyner/NC State Veterinary Medicine

The NC State Student Chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (SCAAEP) is proud to present the 2025 NC State Equine Health Symposium.

This year’s symposium will feature programming exclusively for horse owners and enthusiasts (ages 13 and up). A variety of topics will be covered, including breeding and pregnancy care, lameness exams and intra-articular therapies, and emergency vet care and bandaging techniques.

Please note that some of these topics are similar to last year’s program. Repeat attendees are welcome, but may receive overlap information from last year.

Attendees ages 16 and up who pay a registration fee will receive emergency kits containing items owners may need in case of emergencies. Additional kits may be purchased at registration if desired.

Time	Topic	Speakers
8:00AM-8:30AM	Check-In & Breakfast
8:30AM-8:40AM	Welcome & Introductions
8:40AM-9:10AM	Ways to Breed	Dr. Jennine Lection, NCSU CVM
9:15AM-9:45AM	What to Expect During Pregnancy	Dr. Jennine Lection, NCSU CVM
9:45AM-10:00AM	BREAK
10:00AM-10:30AM	Neonatal Foal Care	Dr. Kim Young, NCSU CVM
10:30AM-11:00AM	Lameness Exam	Dr. Sara Tufts, NCSU CVM
11:00AM-11:10AM	BREAK
11:10AM-11:40AM	Intra-articular Therapies	Dr. Sara Tufts, NCSU CVM
11:40AM-12:10PM	Common Hoof Problems	Dr. Brenna Pugliese, NCSU CVM
12:10PM-1:00PM	Lunch & Meet Sponsors
1:00PM-1:30PM	Preventative Care + Vaccines	Dr. Erin Pearson, NCSU CVM
1:35PM-2:05PM	ER - When to call the vet, what to do while you wait, and what happens when your horse gets to the hospital	Dr. Lilly Haywood, NCSU CVM Dr. Megan Burke, NCSU CVM
2:10PM-2:40PM	Bandaging/Wound Care	Dr. Lexi Fielding, NCSU CVM
2:40PM-2:50PM	Break
2:50PM-3:50PM	Lab/Demonstration - PE and Bandaging
3:50PM-4:00PM	Closing Remarks & Distribution of Emergency Kits

Megan Burke, DVM, DACVS, DACVECC NC State College of Veterinary Medicine	Dr. Megan Burke is originally from San Francisco, California. She graduated from the UC Davis – School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. Following graduation, she completed a Large Animal Surgery Internship at University Pennsylvania – New Bolton Center. She stayed on at New Bolton Center to complete a Comparative Orthopedics Fellowship at PENN Vet CORL, followed by a 3 year residency in Large Animal Surgery, achieving board certification in 2016. She came to NC State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015 as a Clinical Instructor in Equine Emergency. While working at NC State she also completed a collaborative Fellowship in Large Animal Emergency and Critical Care at The Ohio State University, achieving board certification in 2021. She has been an Assistant Clinical Professor of Equine Emergency at NC State since 2018. Her research interests center around reducing morbidity and mortality in critically ill equids, especially those undergoing surgery for colic.
Lexi Fielding, DVM NC State College of Veterinary Medicine
Lilly Haywood, VMD NC State College of Veterinary Medicine
Jennine Lection, DVM, PhD, DACT NC State College of Veterinary Medicine	Dr. Jennine Lection is an Assistant Professor of Theriogenology in the Department of Clinical Sciences at NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed both her undergraduate studies as well as her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at NC State. Her advanced clinical training includes her internship year at the Equine Medical Center of Ocala, as well as her residency in comparative theriogenology (reproductive medicine) at Cornell University. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists at the conclusion of her residency. She earned her PhD in Integrative and Biomedical Physiology at the Pennsylvania State University, primarily advised by Dr. Erika Ganda and co-advised by Dr. Adrian Barragan.
Erin Pearson, DVM NC State College of Veterinary Medicine
Brenna Pugliese, DVM, DACVS NC State College of Veterinary Medicine	Brenna is a large animal surgeon and a PhD student in the Comparative Biomedical Sciences graduate program at NC State University. She completed her DVM and Master of Comparative Biomedical Sciences at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Thereafter she pursued a clinical equine internship, followed by a Veterinary Research Fellowship at the AO Research Institute. Brenna completed a Large Animal Surgery Residency at Cornell University in 2023 and obtained board certification by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2024. Her research focuses on regenerative therapies for musculoskeletal disease in horses.
Sara Tufts, DVM NC State College of Veterinary Medicine	Dr. Tufts is the second year Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation resident here at NC State. She received her veterinary degree from NC State in 2021. She then completed a rotating internship at the Equine Medical Center of Ocala followed by a specialty internship in Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation at NC State where she stayed on for a residency training program. Her main interests include advanced imaging diagnostics, lameness, and causes of poor performance.
Kimberly Young, DVM NC State College of Veterinary Medicine	Dr. Young, a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, grew up riding around the area. Her lifelong love of horses drove her to pursue a degree in Animal Science at North Carolina State University. She remained at NCSU for her veterinary education, graduating with her DVM in 2018. She then pursued a rotating equine internship in the horse capital of the world, Ocala, FL, at the Equine Medical Center of Ocala. Here, her love of a diagnostic puzzle and being a part of a true veterinary-client-patient care team led her to pursue further training back at NCSU by completing an equine internal medicine residency in 2021. To try and find novel solutions to equine and human health problems, she is now currently pursuing a PhD with the Schnabel and Gilger Laboratories, evaluating biologics in equine ophthalmic disease. Outside of work, she lives in Knightdale, NC with her husband Kevin and her dog Bailey, and still has the spotted gelding that fueled her love for horses, Taz.