SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Sidelines Caps
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Stallions
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Classifieds
    • Horse Trailers for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
1
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

 

 

Double D Trailers Info

Share this page:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
Tagged under: Ashlee Watts, dressage, veterinarian

What you can read next

Elizabeth Ehrlich: From Ulcers to Entrepreneur
Fifteen Years and Going Strong: Australian Lane Clarke and Californian Mickey Hayden
Julie Ferris: Painting Her Passion

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Follow on Instagram!

sidelines_magazine

Sidelines Magazine
Jessica West always rode any horse that was availa Jessica West always rode any horse that was available to her throughout her Junior career, so she knew she had an advantage when she decided she wanted to ride on an NCAA team in college. Now a senior at @@auburnu and majoring in psychology, Jessica has enjoyed everything about the equestrian team and is ready to move on to her next adventure. 

Read more about Jessica at the link in our bio!

#ncea #ncaa #equestrian #collegiateequestrian #huntseatequitation #hunterjumper #equestrianlife #collegelife #showjumper #hunterhorse #horseshow #sidelinesmagazine
In the unique and challenging sport of combined dr In the unique and challenging sport of combined driving, Jacob Arnold has proven himself to be a bona fide star. It’s been said that success develops from a recipe based on hard work, perseverance, learning and sacrifice, paired with a love of what one is doing. Since the time he was a boy, Jacob has had the right combination of all of those ingredients, which have culminated in a meteoric rise to stardom.

Beginning his career as a Junior, Jacob earned the coveted @usequestrian Junior Equestrian of the Year award in 2011. Since then, he has taken the combined driving world by storm, competing successfully in four @fei_global World Championships. He also won the USEF Advanced Pair Horse National Championship in 2020 and 2021, among other victories—all before the age of 28, in a sport that has historically been dominated by older drivers. Last September, he placed 12th—the highest of any American driver—at the 2021 FEI Driving World Championship for Pairs in a field of over 100 top-level drivers.

Read more about @jacobarnoldcombineddriving at the link in our bio!

@alex.banks.photography #combineddriving #drivendressage #dressage #driving #carriage #horsedriving #equestrianstyle #equestrianlife #horselover #drivinghorse #carriagehorse #showhorse #sidelinesmagazine
@rolex Testimonee Daniel Deusser has claimed the f @rolex Testimonee Daniel Deusser has claimed the first equestrian Major of 2022, winning the prestigious Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters. In doing so he also claimed an additional bonus for non-consecutive Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping wins, following his victory at CHIO Aachen last year. The German champion’s outstanding performance riding his trusted partner Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z once again makes him the live contender for the coveted Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.

Catch up on all the action and watch the free highlights video on the Sidelines Show World blog (link in bio!)

#showjumping #rolex #grandslam #rolexgrandslam #showjumper #dutch #netherlands #dutchwarmbloods #equestrianlife #hunterhorse #hunterjumper #equestrianstyle #showhorses #showjumpersofinstagram #jumpinghorse #grandprixjumer #grandprixhorse #sidelinesmagazine
Dog and Horse friendly 3 bedroom 2 bath on 1.25 ac Dog and Horse friendly 3 bedroom 2 bath on 1.25 acres in Jupiter Farms, Florida.

Jupiter Farms is an equestrian community with a trail system and a sand riding arena at the park. Charming home features vaulted ceilings, custom trim, custom lighting in master bedroom that changes color with a remote. Granite countertops in kitchen and laundry room. New 2022 stackable washer/dryer. Privacy fenced backyard with beautiful tall pines for shade, many palm trees also on property.

Secure fenced  25’ x 25’ pen with wood fencing , for a horse, dogs or a garden.  Wonderful property in desirable Jupiter Farms. 45 minutes to Wellington, 25 minutes to Jupiter Dog Beach. Perfect oasis for dog and horse lovers, close to everything in South Florida. MLS# 10778333, Agents welcome.

$655,000
Contact 561-246-9317
Load More... Follow on Instagram

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • Holsteiner Stallion - Lieutenant Kije
    Lieutenant Kije (Laurinn x Carolus I x Rocadero) 17'h North American Studbook Approved Holsteiner Proven Hunter & Jumper Offspring thru Derby's & Grand Prix. USEF #45986 Fresh Cooled & Frozen LFG $1200 Frozen Straws $350 per dose www.Phoenixequestriancenter.com

    [Read more]

  • LUCKY RABBIT STUDIO - LOGOS
    GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF A NEW LOGO! LOGOS FOR YOUR BARN, FARM, BUSINESS OR WEBSITE Contact Mark@LuckyRabbitStudio.com or visit www.LuckyRabbitStudio.com

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • A Paris Horse Adventure: Saut Hermes 2022
  • Better Business with Malvern Bank: Michael Meller’s Secrets to Success
  • Third Annual Painted Ponies Art Walk takes over Southern Pines, NC!

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • Jung Ends as He Began — On Top — at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN™
  • ROLEX TESTIMONEE DANIEL DEUSSER WINS ROLEX GRAND PRIX AT 2022 DUTCH MASTERS
  • STABLE VIEW IN AIKEN POSTPONING ‘A’ RATED $400,000 H/J CHALLENGE SERIES DUE TO RESTRICTIVE MILEAGE RULE

Category

Recent Posts

  • Hope Cooper: Dressage and Education Run in the Family

    By Ruby Tevis Portraits by Melissa Fuller Hope ...
  • Bailey Robinson: Ponies on Her Mind

    By Britney Grover Portraits by Kristie Scholten...
  • The Impact of Thoughts

    By Margie Sugarman I fell off at a big show I q...
  • Believing in the Horse Nobody Believed In: Cooley Quicksilver

    By Liz Halliday-Sharp I have had many young hor...
  • Unbridled With Steve Stephens

    By Britney Grover Steve Stephens knows a good j...

Copyright © 1987 - 2021 Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!