Dr. Jackie Kaufman is one of the equine surgeons at King Animal Hospital. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the Ontario Veterinary College in 2016 and then went for further training at the Atlantic Veterinary College in PEI where she completed a large animal internship and an equine surgery residency over four years. After residency, she practiced in Winnipeg, MB, where she functioned both as primary practitioner and as an equine surgeon.
Q: Tell us about yourself and how you got started in equine veterinary medicine.
I grew up on a farm in Southern Ontario and with my love for horses I managed to convince my parents to let me take riding lessons as a child. I rode Arabians until getting into vet school became my focus. From a young age I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian and work with animals. I have always found surgery fascinating, and my time working in the large animal hospital in vet school solidified that I wanted to specialize. Specializing in large animal typically leans towards a high equine caseload, and I love working with horses but also enjoy ruminant [cattle, sheep and goats] surgery when I have the opportunity.
Q: What is your area of specialty and why did you choose it?
I specialize in large animal surgery, with a primary focus on equine patients. It may sound simple, but I chose this path because I genuinely love performing surgery and I love working with horses. There’s also something incredibly fulfilling about the collaborative nature of working in a referral hospital—consulting with other professionals and combining our expertise to help complex cases.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working at King Animal Hospital?
What sets King Animal Hospital apart is its deeply collaborative environment. I can walk down the hallway and consult with colleagues from both equine and small animal departments, sharing resources and knowledge across specialties. That internal collaboration is matched by strong external partnerships—working closely with referring veterinarians across Ontario. I’m fortunate to be able to offer specialized imaging and surgical services that support their care, including diagnostics and procedures that require advanced monitoring, anesthesia, or equipment.
One of those referring veterinarians is Jenna Donaldson, a partner at Rotenberg Veterinary in Schomberg, ON. Over the past year, she has entrusted several clients to KAH.
“The majority of cases I send to KAH are elective surgical cases like OCD fragment removals, dental procedures like tooth extractions, and castrations,” says Jenna. “I also like to send horses there for their imaging—MRIs, bone scans, and especially the standing CT. It uses different technology and requires less sedation, which reduces risk. KAH has been excellent about accommodating emergencies, including foals with septic joints or lacerations that require anesthesia.”
Q: What area of equine research are you watching closely?
I’m particularly interested in emerging technologies involving wearable sensors, biometrics, and lameness detection systems. These tools are becoming more widely available, but we need to validate their accuracy before relying on the results they produce. That said, their potential to detect subtle changes—especially low-grade lameness or pain—makes them an exciting frontier. Used properly, they could dramatically improve early diagnosis and horse welfare overall.
Q: If you could improve one thing in the equine veterinary industry, what would it be?
I would love to see the development of a centralized medical record system that stays with the horse throughout its life. In my field, horses often have multiple owners and see different veterinarians over time. Having access to past treatments, x-rays, diagnostics, and travel history in one accessible location would streamline diagnosis and continuity of care. It would save time, reduce redundancy, and most importantly, improve outcomes for the horses we all work so hard to help.
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