A pair of life-sized horse simulators named Bubbles and Biscuit are revolutionizing how veterinary students at the University of Saskatchewan learn to assist with foaling. The simulators were gifted to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine by Dr. June Donaldson, allowing students to safely practice scenarios that would be too high-risk or rare to observe in real life.

The simulators, crafted by Veterinary Simulator Industries, are the first of their kind at USask and are specifically designed to simulate the birth of a foal. Students can manipulate the position of the foal model inside the mare to learn how to resolve difficult births and ensure safe outcomes for both animals.

Dr. Donaldson’s donation was inspired by her love of horses and a tour of the BJ Hughes Centre for Clinical Learning at WCVM. The simulators not only provide hands-on learning opportunities for students but also help them build confidence and competence before encountering real-life emergencies with live animals.