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Thursday, December 01 2016 / Published in Weekly Feature

Ashlee Watts: Equine Practitioner, Researcher and Dressage Rider 

Ashlee Watts

Ashlee Watts

The pool of equine veterinarians is a small one. Within that pool, the number of clinicians who do research is even smaller. Most of those who do the research are at universities, and there are only about 20 veterinary colleges that have research programs. Among those researchers, few also maintain a practice with equine clients. However, that’s exactly what Dr. Ashlee Watts does.

In her youth, Ashlee never considered doing anything other than working with horses as an equine veterinarian. Originally from Utah, she attended Colorado State University where she also earned her DVM in 2003 and went on to complete her surgical residency and earn her Ph.D. from Cornell University, where her focus was improving cartilage repair.

Today she’s a board certified orthopedic surgeon in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M University, and director of the Comparative Orthopedics and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory.

Ashlee and Hampton

Ashlee and Hampton

Ashlee The Rider

Over the years, Ashlee has ridden and competed in a variety of disciplines, from equitation and jumpers to a summer of endurance riding, western performance events, all-around Quarter Horse breed shows and even exercising a professional barrel racing horse. Then, in 2011, she took a dressage lesson on her off-the-track Thoroughbred (OTTB) and after a few more lessons, a lightbulb went off in her head on how her riding was making the horse better.

“After only a few lessons, I’d found a job that took a nervous OTTB and made him more confident. Through classical riding, I became a better leader and the horse became a better listener — he was on the aids and a happier and better-balanced athlete. Now I have a deeper understanding of how classical riding can make the horse literally proud of himself, which I find addictive,” she said.

Ashlee is a successfully rising Second Level dressage competitor with her horse, Hampton, and she hopes to continue through the national dressage levels and maybe even FEI level. “I really found my niche as an amateur rider in dressage — it’s all about the horse and education — which is a mirror of my professional life and I love it. We raise Warmbloods and I ride in the evening after work — usually two horses a day. My coach comes to my house a couple times a week and my husband takes care of everything or I’d never be able to do it all.”

Ashlee examining a horse

Ashlee examining a horse

Ashlee The Equine Researcher

Ashlee’s passion for improving her horses through classical riding carries over into her professional life, as veterinary medicine and research allow her to make horses better from the inside out.

“All my life, I wanted to work on performance horses and lameness, but during an internship at Pioneer Equine in California, I discovered I loved surgery. When I went to Cornell for my surgical residency, I was required to do research. It was really hard and time consuming, but once I got my results and statistics and had answered my research question about something that was meaningful to the horse and equine practitioners, I thought it was really cool,” she explained.

Ashlee’s recent research was published in the September Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and she’ll present the details to veterinarians at the annual conference of the American Association of Equine Practitioners in December. The study, “A Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Effects of Resveratrol Administration in Performance Horses with Lameness Localized to the Distal Tarsal Joints,” provides proof that Equithrive® Joint is effective therapy for equine hock lameness.

Ashlee’s goal is to improve the lives of horses.

Ashlee’s goal is to improve the lives of horses.

“This was a two-year research project and it’s very exciting to me because blinded, randomized and controlled clinical trials aren’t commonly performed in equine veterinary medicine,” Ashlee said. “This type of study is especially rare in the equine supplement industry due to time and cost involved, and I was very pleased that Equithrive raised the standard for the industry.” It’s her hope that the results may also encourage future scientific research and proof behind equine therapies.

“Career-wise, my goal is to continue improving the lives of horses through better understanding of pathophysiology, prevention, therapy and treatments for musculoskeletal injury in the horse. If something I learn in the horse is useful for human athletes, that would be icing on the cake,” Ashlee said.

All photos by Patrick Lawless

 

 

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Tagged under: Ashlee Watts, dressage, veterinarian

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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

#dressage #equestrian #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #equestrianlife #showjumping #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #instahorse #dressur #horselove #eventing #equestrianstyle #cheval #dressagerider #horselife #horselover #pferde #love #riding #jumping #pferdeliebe #horseofinstagram #horsebackriding #paard #dressurpferd
We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

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Contact Cheryl Maye at (703) 431-9096 for more information
https://www.mayeshowponies.com/more-info/stallions

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

📸  SAS Equestrian
‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️ The purpose of this ‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️

The purpose of this month’s column is to help the young equestrians of our sport develop and maintain healthy friendships within the industry. Cultivating healthy relationships with other members within the industry is not as easy as one may think. As a young equestrian, it may be difficult navigating friendships at the barn and at horse shows. Typically, kids have friendships within the barn they ride at but also friendships with others from different barns in their area. 

Initially, it may seem as though making other friends in the sport would be easy and ideal; after all, there is the common interest of horses. However, because of the natural therapeutic benefits of horses, the sport has a history of attracting all types of people, with a wide range of personalities. This can be both an advantage and a drawback. We are now in an era that acknowledges the growing need to discuss and manage one’s mental health. 

One thing I have learned is that we are likely to notice mental health challenges at an age younger than most people may think. Some of the friendship dynamics I have observed over the years have caused me to pause and really think about the future of our sport. Without looking for a source to blame for the cause of this, i.e. social media, parents, school, teachers, etc., I think if all adults involved worked to encourage, affirm, love, and respect our youth, the likelihood of them developing authentic friendships with their peers may increase.

Both humans and horses were designed to have connected relationships. These relationships allow a greater sense of security when one experiences challenges in life. Cultivating the quality and authenticity of these relationships requires intentional work. 

Thank you Rob for providing your helpful insight on developing healthy relationships. Check out his tips in his column you can find in the link in our bio.
Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine🦄 

Photo by Blenheim Equisports

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #hunterjumper #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #sidelinesmagzine
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