Columbia Equine Hospital

08/31/2026

Please welcome Dr. Sarah Smith to the Columbia Equine Team! We are so excited to welcome her to the Portland area and have her as part of the clinic!

Dr. Sarah Smith grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she competed in dressage and three-day eventing.

She attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, earning a bachelor’s degree in biophysics, biochemistry, and molecular biology before receiving her veterinary degree from UC Davis.

During veterinary school, Dr. Smith gained extensive experience in emergency and surgical care, working as an after-hours large animal surgery technician and equine hospital treatment nurse. She also served with the California Student Veterinary Emergency Response Team, assisting with local emergencies and wildfire evacuations. Through UC Davis’ One Health initiative, she collaborated on research investigating the relationship between wildfires and disease spread among wildlife.

After graduation, Dr. Smith completed an equine internship at Bend Equine Medical Center in Bend, Oregon, where she further developed her skills across a broad range of equine medicine and surgery. Her professional interests include emergency medicine, surgery, sports medicine, and wellness.

Outside of work, Dr. Smith enjoys hiking, skiing, backpacking, crafting, and spending time with her cat, Shrimp.

08/21/2026

Earlier this year a 5 year old draft cross gelding presented to Columbia Equine for approximately one week duration of fevers and left sided nasal discharge (sinus infection) which was improving with broad spectrum oral antibiotic treatment.

On sedated speculum oral exam a sagittal crown fracture of tooth #210 was present through pulp chambers 1 & 2 with feed packing between the fragments. The cheek side fragment was loose and causing a significant ulceration to the inside of the cheek.

On dental x-ray, sclerosis (increased bone density) surrounded one of the tooth roots of #210, indicating root infection secondary to the open pulp chambers created by the fracture.

Under standing sedation and a local nerve block, the diseased tooth was extracted by intra-oral elevation. The horse received peri-operative pain medications and was continued on a course of antibiotics. He recovered well with no recurrent signs of tooth or sinus infection.

* posted with owner permission

08/06/2026

As the air quality improves you may be getting anxious to exercise your horse again, but their lungs actually need a little more time than you might think to recover from the smoke. Remember while you were able to wear a mask and go indoors to filtered air, your horse was breathing in small particles 24/7. The amount of recovery time required for their lungs to clear and heal depends upon the severity and duration of poor air quality they were in, and whether or not they had any previous underlying respiratory issues (such as asthma). Even for mild brief exposure we still recommend a few days off and a few days of light work with close respiratory monitoring prior to returning to normal activity. 🫁

Wildfire smoke exposes horses to harmful particles in the air. Make sure your horses are recovered before working and riding them.

08/05/2026

Two lots (24416 and 25265P) of Adequan® i.m. Injection (for horses), 500mg/5 mL single-dose 5mL vials have been recalled

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 31, 2026 – Shirley, NY, American Regent, Inc. Animal Health is conducting a nationwide recall of two lots (25011 and 3369) of Adequan® Canine Injection (for dogs), 100 mg/mL 5mL multi-dose vials and two lots (24416 and 25265P) of Adequan® i.m. Injection (for horses...

08/04/2026

Next time you see Dr. Caitlyn Higginbotham ask her about her experience last weekend as a volunteer for the UC Davis’s Equine Medical Strike Team at the 2026 Tevis Cup 100 mile Western States Trail endurance race. Their team, in coordination with Nevada HEART and the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, rescued via helicopter an endurance horse that had been separated from his rider during the race becoming stuck in the thick wilderness. Both the horse and rider recovered well from the incident. 🚁

08/04/2026

As wildfire smoke rolls into Portland-metro this week keep these guidelines in mind for your horses respiratory health. Reach out to our office if you have any specific questions or concerns. Thanks for the infographic!

07/30/2026

🌟 NEW USEF MEDICATION RULES 🌟

Effective immediately, cetirizine will become a permitted substance in USEF-licensed competition

07/15/2026

Shockwave Therapy

ESWT directs energy waves to hard or soft tissues in a particular area of the body. ESWT is a non-invasive procedure that uses the production of acoustic sound waves to produce high pressure waves that are focused at a point of tissue or bone to stimulate healing. Shockwave has also been shown to improve outcomes in asthma patients. This can be performed on farm or in clinic.

Common issues that can benefit from shockwave therapy include tendon/ligament injuries, muscle soreness, bone bruising, and asthma.

06/10/2026

🌟A belated welcome to our new practice manager ✨

Joining us in March 2026, Anne brings over 30 years of experience in the horse world, including over 10 years working with a local equine rescue. Originally from Georgia, she has called Gresham home since 2007. She values the partnership between horse and human and enjoys supporting horses and their people through thoughtful, horse-centered work.

With 18 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, Anne brings a strong service-minded approach and a focus on creating structure and support that allow teams to do their best work. She is known for being a steady, collaborative presence and a thoughtful problem solver, committed to supporting care teams, clients, and patients.

Anne shares her life with her spouse and two children, along with a beagle, two ferrets, and two adopted horses. She enjoys dressage, jumping, and trail riding, and outside of work can usually be found at the barn, spending time outdoors, getting lost in a good book, or watching a movie with her family.

05/06/2026

Please join us in celebrating our Practice Manager, Megan Cormack, on her promotion to Regional Director with PetVet Care Centers, where she will be supporting small animal practices across our region.

Megan has been an integral part of Columbia Equine Hospital for 20 years, helping build and grow the practice into what it is today. Her steady presence, dedication, and commitment to both patients and people have shaped an incredible team and culture.

While Megan will be stepping out of the Manager role, she is not going far. She will continue to be a familiar face at the clinic and a valued support as we transition to new leadership (more to come soon!).

We are so proud of Megan and grateful for all she has contributed. Please join us in congratulating her on this exciting next chapter.