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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2005-03-23, Page 14Crossroads 14 Wednesday, March 23, 2005 Exeter Times Advocate Local vet performs successful horse embryo transfer By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — Dr. Shane Durnin of the Thames Road Veterinary Clinic recently performed a medical rarity in the horse world. The local veterinarian successfully carried out an embryo transfer from a Standardbred race mare to a surro- gate mare. A healthy nor- mal-sized colt was born March 11 at 4:30 a.m. Durnin and his wife Joanne want- ed to continue racing their m a r e , Glenda ' s Miracle, last year, but also wanted to breed her. That's when they decided to look for a surrogate mare, which they found in the Seaforth area. At 16 years old, the mare is older than one would normally want in a mother, but Durnin says she is a good mother. A top racing sire from Tara, Mach Three, was used for the breeding. Durnin said one of the difficult parts of the process was getting both mares on the same cycle, a process that involves regular ultrasound and some medication. The actual breeding and embryo transfer all took place artificially, with Durnin working under a microscope. The collection and transfer of the embryo took two to three hours March 17, 2004. "Every t try to al Mother and wor somethi delicate embryo, always t you can it." Twelve days later, an ultrasound showed Durnin the surrogate mare was in foal. Durnin said everything went smoothly during the gestation period and, while the colt was born about a month overdue, that's com- mon in horses and had nothing to do with the embryo transfer. This was the first embryo transfer Durnin has done and he says he'll probably do it again. He does other reproduc- tion work with horses and the embryo transfer is a continua- tion of that. While they are becom- ing more common in horses, Durnin says embryo transfers are still rela- tively rare and a suc- cessful transfer is even rarer. "Every time you try to alter Mother Nature and work with some- thing as delicate as an embryo, there's always the chance you can damage it. This one worked out well, so we're happy with it." The still -unnamed foal will remain with his surrogate mother for five months on John Taylor's farm south of Hensall, where the Durnins also keep their racing mare. Durnin intends for his newborn colt to become a racing horse, just like his biological mother. ime you ter Nature k with ng as as an there's he chance damage T VETERI DR. SHANE DURNIN IIAMES ROAD NARY CLINIC Dr. Shane Durnin of the Thames Road Veterinary Clinic stands with a newborn colt, born March I I on a farm south of Hensall as the result of a rare successful embryo transfer. Keeping a watchful eye on things is Whimsical, the surrogate mare. (photo/Scott Nixon) A $500 donation from the Centralia -Huron Park Lions Club recently helped Community Living - South Huron buy a new 35 -seat bus, which will be used to drive people in the area to Arc Industries. From left are Lions members Harvey Hillman, John Bruls, Matt Collings, Robert Chadwick, president Sharon Dinney, Community Living human resources supervisor Trevor McGregor, Ceceilia Dinney and Alan Hyde. McGregor, who said the fundraising campaign for the bus has been a success, expected the new bus to arrive March 18. (photo/Scott Nixon) POLICE BRIEFS $150,000 damage to cottage, thanks to thieves BLUEWATER — Workers renovating a seasonal resi- dence on Highway 21 in Bluewater discovered someone had broken into the home March 13. Thieves removed two televisions, two VCR's, a set of outdoor speakers, two black/chrome battery-operated scooters, a 12" chop saw, rechargeable power tools, belt sander, table grinder, drill press, drill, circular saw, power cleaner and two pairs of cordless black headphones. The sus- pects also set furniture on fire in the basement. The fire melted plastic water pipes, flooding the basement, thus preventing the fire from spreading. Damage is pegged at $150,000. $15,000 in tools stolen from van LUCAN — OPP are probing the theft of $15,000 worth of tools from an unmarked company van on March 15. Police say the vehicle was parked on Main St. in Lucan when the overnight theft occurred. It's not known how the thief broke into the van.