By Ken Ball

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Breeders Committee recently announced the sponsorship of a breeders' symposium. The inaugural event will take place the last Sunday in April at Wisconsin's state-of-the-art veterinary hospital, the Wisconsin Equine Clinic in Oconomowoc. Many of the top breeding stallions in the Midwest use this highly regarded facility for their reproductive needs. It is also used for care of young stock and managing mature stallions and broodmares.

Staffed by veterinarians in a variety of specialties, the symposium speakers will cover aspects of breeding, including collection, insemination, shipping fresh cooled and frozen semen, embryo transfer, foaling and care of the newborn. Dr. Andy Schmidt, Dr. Doug Langer, Dr. Scott Austin and Dr. Bob Magnus will educate attendees about the clinical side of the horse breeding business. Ken Borden and Gareth Selwood will speak on topics relating to halter training, showing in-hand and under saddle with young horses. Both professional horsemen have bred, trained and shown numerous in-hand champions at USDF and USEF competitions, and presented stallions for testing at breed approvals and inspections with great success.

By starting with this symposium at the local level, the Breeders Committee hopes to educate the membership and promote the breeding of horses in the U.S. and to help in the promotion of the American-bred horse of any breed.

The USEF horse breeders symposium at the Wisconsin Equine Clinic in Oconomowoc, WI, will be held Sunday, April 30, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on the symposium, costs and sponsorship information, contact Ken Ball, USEF Breeders Committee Liaison, (859) 225-2035, e-mail kball@usef.org.

For the registration form, visit www.phr.com/newsletter/forms/2006_usef_breeders_symposium.doc