EDINBURGH, England—Veterinary students will be better prepared to tackle a common, painful—and potentially lethal—condition in horses by practicing on the first life-size equine model that uses rubber latex, the first of its kind in the United Kingdom.
The anatomical model will enable students at the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland, to improve their diagnosis of colic, which affects many horses during their lifetime and can be life-threatening, according to the university.
The equine simulator at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies contains large intestines and other organs made of latex. These can be inflated to different degrees to help familiarize students with the condition.
The model, which was recently developed by Veterinary Simulator Industries in close collaboration with Dr. Emma Read of the University of Calgary, has been imported from Canada.