Welcome to March’s edition of the UWRF Equi-Updates Newsletter. Each issue brings a look into the latest happenings within our Equine Program, including updates from faculty, features on campus organizations and competitive teams, and recognition accomplishments. As spring approaches, our equine community is buzzing with activity. This month we’re sharing exciting updates from the Equine Reproduction class, progress from the Colts in Training program, and postseason highlights as our equestrian teams prepare for and compete at the next level. From the barn, to the show pen, to the classroom, March showcases the hard work, learning, and momentum that define the UWRF equine community
Notes from Faculty & Staff
Dr. Jen Weinert-Nelson Assistant Professor Equine Program Director
The 2026 Spring Semester is in full-swing. This time of year is always busy for our Equine Program and the farm! It has been so exciting to see the Campus Farm come alive over the past month! From the Colts to the Breeding Program to our riding teams and clubs, seeing all of the hard work and dedication that our students put into this program is so rewarding.
Some of you already know my story, but for those of you who aren’t as familiar, I served as the Farm Manager (in the role Levi now holds) for several years before I moved on to grad school. I have always loved nothing more than being at the Campus Farm this time of year I love sitting in the barn with the broodmares/foals, watching them play when they first get look at the outside world, and spending time in the breeding shed. But I honestly love nothing more than just hanging out in that Colt Barn. It was true when I was a student, truer when I was in the Farm Manager, and it still holds true today in my new faculty role. And I am just so grateful
that I get to share that with all of you once again this spring! When I give tours to prospective students or talk about our program to other administrative units in other parts of the university, I always mention the fact that our indoor is open from 5 am to midnight, seven days a week, and that you can find students out here working hard at basically any given time, any day of the week. People are always amazed by that, and I think that tells the story of our program and our students better than just about anything else.
I look forward to all of the great upcoming events that we will be hosting during the remainder of this Spring Semester! The Ag Tech judging contest is coming up at the end of this month, and we will welcome another 200 Wisconsin FFA members to our farm. And, of course, the 50th Anniversary Colt Sale in May. This promises to be an exciting event, filled with activities that will allow our students to engage with alumni, industry, and our other partners across our campus and community. Here’s to a great second half of the semester!
Feature: IHSA Regional Championships
The Hunt Seat and Western Show IHSA Teams have been busy this month! NDSU coordinated a double header weekend, hosting both a regular show and Regionals for both disciplines! February 20th - 22nd, riders from UWRF showed in all levels to come out on top one last time
The Hunt Seat Team started their weekend early, on Friday in Fargo! The
Hunt Seat Team performed their absolute best, and boy did it show! They are set on schedule to fly down to Lubbock, TX in March and show for UWRF in Zones! Representing UWRF at Zones: Hailey P. and Jerzie L. in Limit Over Fences; Brooke L. in Intermeditate Over Fences and Flat; and Kinsey L. in Introductory Flat. The Hunt Seat Team has been working hard and we are very excited to see this group of riders represent us across the nation!
The Western Team also did phenomenal! The team secured Highpoint Team on Saturday, and Riley T took first in L2 Horsemanship and Ranch Riding, earning her the title of Highpoint Rider! Sunday Regionals brought many successes as well! UWRF will have 5 students representing the Western Show Team in Murray, KY over spring break! Aubrey A. for Open Horsemanship, Cady N. for Level 2 Horsemanship and Ranch Riding, Eli B. and Carly B. for Level 1 Horsemanship, and Maddie S. for Rookie Horsemanship. The t eam is ecstatic to have ended on such a high note, and our post season riders have been hard at work refining their skills!
Spring Program Check-In
COLTS IN TRAINING
The 50th year of the UWRF Colts in Training program is well underway! In just four short weeks, students have accomplished so much. They began with a considerable amount of groundwork and desensitization, building respect and attention with their colts. From there, they moved on to saddling and, soon after, riding.
We start with short lunge-line rides, then move into the round pen to work on maintaining forward momentum and teaching colts to give to pressure with precise timing and release from the rider. As students and colts grow more comfortable working together, they’re allowed to venture into the full arena, where steering skills are refined and perfected. Students are encouraged to support one another throughout the process, so you’ll often see multiple groups working together toward one shared goal: making these colts the very best they can be.
The nature of the program emphasizes that nothing is a surprise, every step is intentional and prepares both colts and students for what comes next, ensuring success and safety at the same time. As bonds form, personalities are starting to shine through, and the barn is filled with laughter and learning. With our first round of sale
photos coming in and the first independent rides underway, students are beginning to see their hard work and dedication to these animals pay off in the most rewarding ways.
BREEDING PROGRAM
As the spring semester progresses, students in the ANSC 389 course at the University of WisconsinRiver Falls are actively gearing up for the foaling and breeding season. This hands-on course provides students with real-world experience in mare management, foaling preparation, neonatal
In recent weeks, students have been monitoring pregnant mares, reviewing foaling prediction methods, and learning protocols for dystocia response and newborn assessments. We welcomed our first foal of the season on Saturday, February 28th. Meet baby “Jack” by our UWRF stallion Money Carlo out of beloved schoolie-turned-broodmare JLo!!
With six additional mares due in the coming weeks, the barn is filled with anticipation as students
rotate through foal watch shifts, gaining firsthand experience in recognizing the stages of labor and ensuring both mare and foal receive immediate post-foaling care.
Later in the semester, students will transition into the breeding phase, where they will gain experience breeding mares via artificial inse mina tion, collecting semen from our university stallions, and learning how to properly evaluate and process semen for on-farm mares as well as shipments. This comprehensive approach allows students to follow the entire reproductive cycle from conception to foaling
Students also have been spending time out with our yearlings, and later this spring, we will welcome Dr. Krishawn Clark as a guest lecturer in our class to demonstrate castration technique. Dr. Clark will also some lead some guided palpation and ultrasounding of our mares for our students!
The course is designed to prepare students for careers as breeding managers, farm owners, reproductive technicians, and industry professionals by providing practical, hands-on training that mirrors real-world equine breeding operations.
UWRF Internship Spotlight
This semester, we are following one of our UWRF students, Autumn Gilbertson as she completes a six-month internship at an equine reproduction facility in Oklahoma. Each month, Autumn will update us on all the new skills and great experiences she is gaining through her internship opportunity. Read on for her monthly update!
Autumn Gilbertson – Royal Vista Southwest
Hello, Autumn here, with an update from Oklahoma! My internship at Royal Vista Southwest is going great! I have learned so much about equine reproduction and veterinary medicine! Examples of tasks I have supported veterinarians with include breeding, flushes, and embryo transfers. I assist with these tasks by preparing the horse for the veterinarian. Steps include tying the horse's tail out of the way, scrubbing the horse’s vulva, and confirming the horse’s identification to ensure the correct semen or embryo is matched to the correct horse. My favorite task to do is help the mares foal out!
Foaling out a mare is so much fun! There are a lot of steps involved, but foaling first starts with the mare’s water breaking. Learning to differentiate the sound of a mare's water breaking, urinating, or just playing in their water buckets was definitely a learning curve!
After we bring the mare to the foaling stall, which is larger and bedded with a layer of grass hay, one
of us interns checks the foal's position in the birth canal. The correct position is two front legs with the foal’s head on top of the legs. Once the mare starts pushing and making progress,
I quietly step into the stall and hold onto the foal's legs. It’s very important that you don’t pull the foal out; just hold tension so the mare doesn’t lose progress, and pull gently only while she is pushing. We do this so the foal’s shoulders and hips don’t get stuck. Once the foal is out, we clear any fluid out of the foal’s nasal passage and stimulate the foal by rubbing a towel over its body and legs. We are very careful not to break the umbilical cord, but to let it break on its own time.
Next, we tie up the amniotic sack and placenta to add weight and ensure that the whole placenta passes within three hours after birth. We also test the mare colostrum percentage; the range for good colostrum is 22% to 32% or greater Last, we monitor the mare and foal to ensure they check off the big three: the foal stands within 1 hour, the foal nurses within 2 hours, and the mare has passed her placenta in 3 hours after birth.
Foaling is a wonderful experience and takes a lot of coordination and teamwork to make sure
everything goes smoothly for both the mare and the foal! I love watching the foals standing for the first time. They are very wobbly before getting their feet under them. More than watching them learn to stand, I love watching them learn to lie back down after standing; they half crouch before just flopping over onto the ground! I can’t wait to learn and share more about my internship at Royal Vista Southwest and Equine Reproduction!
Campus Connections & Club Updates
RODEO CLUB
The UWRF Rodeo Club is gearing up for an exciting spring season! Our team has been working hard in and out of the arena as we prepare for our first rodeo of the year, the Cyclone Stampede hosted by Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. We’re excited to kick off the season and represent UWRF in the competition arena.
Before we hit the road, we invite everyone to join us for the annual UWRF Round Up on March 11th at 7:00 PM in the Equine Farm Arena! Create your college teams of 5 and come compete in our fun on-foot events for a chance to win $100. The entry fee is $50 per team, and the winning team will take home $100! Activities include ribbon on the calf, tug-of-war, and more exciting team challenges. It ’s a great way to have fun, show your school spirit, and support the rodeo team. Grab your friends and build your team of five to join the action! To sign up, contact Imagen at imagen.godfrey@my.uwrf.edu or 952-406-0818. We can’t wait to see you there and appreciate all the support as we head into rodeo season!
RANCH HORSE CLUB
The Ranch Horse Club is excited to kick off another great semester! Our first practice is scheduled for Monday, March 2nd, and we’re looking forward to getting back in the arena together with Christy Steed as our coach.
Ranch Horse Club focuses on building well-rounded horses and riders through events that mirror real ranch work, including ranch riding, ranch trail, and working cow horse elements. As we begin the semester, our early practices will focus on fundamentals such as improving communication between horse and rider, refining transitions, and building confidence through obstacle work. We’ll also spend time reviewing patterns and discussing show expectations to help both new and returning members feel prepared and supported.
Ranch Horse Club offers a welcoming environment for riders of all experience levels who are interested in western performance events. We’re excited to see new and familiar faces and are looking forward to a fun and successful semester!
EPTA
EPTA has had our first couple of meetings. During our first meeting, we played a Kahoot identifying the school horses. During our second meeting, we had a pizza party We have also started sessions out at the lab farm. Our session times are Tuesdays from
Please email equine.pta@uwrf.edu if you are interested in joining sessions! 12-2, Wednesdays from 3-5, and Thursdays from 2:30-4:30. Our next meeting is on March 25th at 6 PM in AGSCI 331.
Alumni Spotlight: CHRISTIAN RAMMERSTORFER, PhD
Dr. Christian Rammerstorfe r is a 1994 graduate of UWRF and alumnus of the Colt Program. Christian grew up in Austria and moved to the United States at 17 years old to work on ranches starting young horses. Through this work, Christian connected with Larry Kasten and completed his bachelor’s degree at UWRF.
Dr. Rammerstorfer went on to earn his PhD from Texas A&M University in equine sciences before serving as a professor at Oregon State University.
Dr. Rammerstorfer is currently an NCAA Equestrian Coach at the University of California – Davis. Dr Rammerstorfer also operates his own reining horse training business, Rammerstorfer Training. Christian holds judging AQHA, NRHA, and NRCHA judging cards and has judged championship events around the world.
School Horse Spotlight: ELECTRIC WHIZKEY
Electric Whizkey, or “Whizkey ” as students and faculty know him, is a 2017 palomino stallion by Whizkey N Diamonds. Before arriving at UWRF, he built an impressive show career, competing at prestigious events such as the NRHA Futurity, NRHA Derby,
Cactus Reining Classic, and the National Reining Breeders Classic, earning over $63,000 with multiple riders.
Today, Whizkey has taken on a new role at UWRF— supporting the university’s growing Equine Reproduction program, where he helps students gain hands- on experience in stallion management and breeding, while still making appearances in the arena to show off the talent and style that made him successful in the show pen.
