Spotlight on Clinical Rotations: Equine Theriogenology
Editor’s Note: In their fourth and final year of veterinary school, students are required to complete a series of two-week clinical rotations in the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center. This article is one in a series that highlights those rotations.
It’s foaling season and the Large Animal Hospital in the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center is busy.
That makes it a good time for fourth-year veterinary students interesting in this area to take the equine theriogenology clinical rotation.
“Taking the rotation during foaling season was ideal because of the increased caseload and hands-on learning opportunities,” said Jacob Protzman, a fourth-year Iowa State veterinary student. “It allowed me to gain experience with both maternal care and neonatal management that would have been difficult to get at another time of the year.”
Protzman and his fellow fourth-year veterinary students were responsible for monitoring foal-watch mares and assisting clinicians when the foals were delivered. After foaling, the students cared for both the mare and foal, ensuring they were healthy prior to discharge.
The veterinary students also participated in mare breeding management appointments where they assessed stages of the estrous cycle and coordinated breeding based on ovulation timing.
But it was more than just horses that Protzman worked with.
“I also gained extensive experience in canine reproduction, including breeding management, assisting with transcervical inseminations and helping with a couple canine c-sections,” Protzman said.
This included one day when two canine dystocia cases arrived simultaneously, both requiring c-sections. Working with clinicians, Protzman and other veterinary students triaged the patients determining which was critical to take first.
“We ultimately performed surgery on both dogs and it was very rewarding to see all of the puppies survive and nursing well at discharge,” Protzman said.
The hands-on experience was invaluable for Protzman, who has a strong interest in theriogenology.
“The experience improved my confidence in applying reproductive knowledge to clinical decision-making and client guidance,” he said.
February 2026