A Real Siberian
A Real Siberian, a 6-year old Thoroughbred gelding, enjoys grazing in the pasture.

Teaching Horse Endowment - Helping Horses Live Long and Healthy Lives

Thoroughbred geldings A Real Siberian and Summer Jam ran a few races during their careers. Although not fast enough for the winner's circle, they still maintain their strong racehorse work ethic and have gone on to find new career paths contributing to equine health. After retiring from the track, they joined the Thoroughbred herd at the Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, where Dr. Heather Knych leads a group of researchers in setting the standard for horse racing health and safety.

Following their rotation at the exercised research herd, A Real Siberian and Summer Jam joined the teaching herd at the Center for Equine Health (CEH). CEH is home to 180 horses that comprise the teaching herd, the only one of its kind and size in the country associated with an academic institution. In addition to racing, these donated horses have retired from a variety of jobs including cutting, dressage, jumping, reining and pleasure riding.

Summer Jam
Summer Jam, a 4-year old Thoroughbred gelding, provides veterinary student Kayla Sailer with valuable hands-on training.

A Real Siberian and Summer Jam play integral roles in the CEH’s mission of advancing equine health. Both horses are docile and patient, desirable qualities that make them easy to handle. They are essential in helping train future veterinarians, academic clinicians and researchers by providing valuable hands-on learning opportunities.

Generous donors, like animal-lover Goldie Kaszub, share the CEH's commitment to these ambassadors of equine health. Through her planned gift, the Teaching Horse Endowment has been established. Kaszub believed that the herd is essential to helping horses live long and healthy lives and hoped to inspire others to contribute to the fund so the teaching herd can be maintained for generations to come.

Thanks to the Teaching Horse Endowment, horses like A Real Siberian and Summer Jam will continue to receive world-class veterinary care through the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and will live out the rest of their lives comfortably, enjoying the companionship of others in the herd. The endowment will provide long-term support for their well-being, such as individualized nutrition, summer grazing on an irrigated green pasture and ample room to run around.

The welfare of all horses depends on continuous advancement in equine health. Through research and educational efforts, the CEH is dedicated to providing new information and improved diagnostic and therapeutic options to benefit horses.

For information about making a gift to support the Teaching Horse Endowment, please contact the Office of Development at 530-752-7024