Council Chairs

"The well being of the horse is imperative for the well being of the horse industry. Equine Guelph provides the course for meaningful research to benefit the horse, along with communication and education avenues to ensure new findings reach those caring and looking after our horses."

- Dr. Moira Gunn

At Work: Dr. Moira Gunn has been Equine Guelph’s Advisory Council co-chair since summer 2004. Dr. Gunn, a veterinarian, currently runs a private equine practise specializing in stallion management, embryo transfer and freezing, and reproductive challenges of hard to breed mares.  Dr. Gunn has a long history with the famed Armstrong Bros, having worked there since 1988, first as the farm’s veterinarian, farm manager, vice-president and finally, president in 2000 to 2004.  Dr. Gunn is heavily involved in the horse industry and is currently a Director of the E.P. Taylor Equine Research Fund.  Dr. Gunn’s past involvements include: President of the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario and a Director of Standardbred Canada and the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association.

At Horseplay: At home, Dr. Gunn breeds both standardbreds and thoroughbreds.  In her “quiet” time, Dr. Gunn remains extremely active with this past year finding her climbing Kilimanjaro and completing the New York City Marathon.

At Work:  As Dean of the Ontario Veterinary College, Dr. Stone works to ensure the success and progress of the college and university – a large part of which includes partnering with industry stakeholders.  Prior to joining the University of Guelph, Dr. Stone was the Head of the Department of Clinical Sciences at North Carolina State University, and helped establish its equine health program. Dr. Stone is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, with a clinical and research emphasis on urinary tract disease and cancer in dogs and cats.

At Horseplay:  Dr. Stone hails from Arizona and has fond memories of spending summers riding bare-back at her aunt and uncle’s ranch in northern California.  While attending vet school at the University of California, Davis, she worked for an equine veterinarian specializing in Quarter horses, primarily reining, cutting, and western pleasure horses.  Now, Dr. Stone is enjoying learning about the equine industry in Ontario, recently driving (with assistance!) a Standardbred at Grand River Raceway!  “I appreciate how warm and welcoming people in the horse industry have been to me here,” comments Dr. Stone.

Committee Chairs

At Work:  Gayle has been the Senior Manager of Equine Guelph since its inception in 2003, and played an instrumental role in its birth.  She has dedicated her energies to advancing the equine industry through education and communications.  Gayle created the ‘pyramid of education’ model – an educational approach that provides learning pathways for career development at all levels (youth education > industry skills > Equine Science Certificate > higher education) in the equine industry.  In collaboration with the Office of Open learning, Gayle developed the Equine Science Certificate program – an on-line program targeted to the equine industry.  She also acts as an instructor in the program. 

At Horseplay:  Gayle started riding before she could walk!  A dappled grey Shetland pony named Pogo was her first mount.  Known as the ‘show junkie’, Gayle spent her youth competing at Arabian shows.  A former researcher, Gayle’s expertise is in the area of exercise physiology.  She has been the Assistant Chef d’Equippe for the Canadian Endurance Team, traveling around the globe with the team to international events like the Pan-Am and World Endurance Championships.  These days, Gayle takes pleasure in riding her two Quarter horses through the wooded trails of her country home.

    Dr. Jeff Thomason, Co-Chair, Research Committee

“Communication goes in many directions.  The primary role of communications at Equine Guelph is gathering and disseminating practical information from researchers to the industry in a timely fashion.  It is equally important to receive information back from the industry on its needs, which in turn is communicated to the researchers.  It is also a priority for Equine Guelph to communicate ROI (Return on Investment) to industry sponsors and donors.”    

– Dr. Jeff Thomason

At Work:  Dr. Thomason is an Anatomy Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Ontario Veterinary College and is internationally-renowned for his research on equine hoof anatomy and mechanics.  In addition, Dr. Thomason developed the Functional Equine Anatomy course (with Gayle Ecker) for Equine Guelph’s online educational program, the Equine Science Certificate program.

At Horseplay:  Dr. Thomason enjoys working with living horses in his research on hoof biomechanics, but admits he also gets as much pleasure from working with dead ones!  “Horse anatomy is quite beautiful when you get to the guts of it,” he says, a joker at heart.  Watching the ‘light go on’ at the precise moment when a student understands the workings of the gut or stay apparatus is one of the rewards that keeps him working with the horse – a unique, complex species.

   Susan Raymond, Chair, Communications & Marketing Committee

“I believe that we, as caregivers, hold a tremendous responsibility to our horses. The environment that we create for them has a considerable impact on their welfare, health and performance ability, regardless of discipline. I feel extremely fortunate that, through these industry education programs I am able to combine my love of horses with my interest in communication and education as a career.”     

   – Susan Raymond

At Work:  Susan oversees the communications program and is heavily involved in the education programs of Equine Guelph.  Susan is the instructor and course co-creator of the Management of the Equine Environment online course, Equine Science Certificate program. Susan is also the assistant instructor of the Equine Journalism online course, Equine Business Management Certificate program. Formerly, she was involved in air quality research which provided practical recommendations to the horse industry on stable design and management. Susan has completed a PhD, investigating the effects of exposure of horses to mycotoxins.

At Horseplay:  Horses are not only part of Susan’s professional life, but are her true passion and take up much of her social life.  Susan has had a variety of experiences within the horse industry, from exercising young racehorses to jumping, dressage and trail rides. Most recently, she has had the opportunity to work with endurance horses and has even competed in a number of “ride and ties”.

"The well being of the horse is imperative for the well being of the horse industry. Equine Guelph provides the course for meaningful research to benefit the horse, along with communication and education avenues to ensure new findings reach those caring and looking after our horses."

- Dr. Moira Gunn

At Work: Dr. Moira Gunn has been Equine Guelph’s Advisory Council co-chair since summer 2004. Dr. Gunn, a veterinarian, currently runs a private equine practise specializing in stallion management, embryo transfer and freezing, and reproductive challenges of hard to breed mares.  Dr. Gunn has a long history with the famed Armstrong Bros, having worked there since 1988, first as the farm’s veterinarian, farm manager, vice-president and finally, president in 2000 to 2004.  Dr. Gunn is heavily involved in the horse industry and is currently a Director of the E.P. Taylor Equine Research Fund.  Dr. Gunn’s past involvements include: President of the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario and a Director of Standardbred Canada and the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association.

At Horseplay: At home, Dr. Gunn breeds both standardbreds and thoroughbreds.  In her “quiet” time, Dr. Gunn remains extremely active with this past year finding her climbing Kilimanjaro and completing the New York City Marathon.