Our team includes Deb Ottier, BSc (Agr), MSc in Reproductive Physiology. Deb has been an integral part of our team at Iron Horse, having worked in research at the former Equine Research Centre at the University of Guelph, and worked with a number of endangered breeds and animals at the African Lion Safari in Cambridge, ON. Her Masters research was specifically on Stallion Semen Freezing, with a close look at Seminal Plasma Proteins and the role they play in fertility of frozen semen. She also completed her undergraduate degree in Animal Sciences and Nutrition, and worked in the horse industry as a Nutrition Consultant for 15 years. She has combined this knowledge to help breeders set up nutritional programs to compliment their breeding programs.
Her experience and knowledge extends with managing and set up of several facilities as CFIA APPROVED Centers for Semen Collection and Storage, facility sterilization procedures, monitoring of people and horse traffic, with wash stations etc and all the paperwork that accompanies the approval process, as well as all the paperwork for shipping Semen Internationally.
Kia Ottier is our stallion handler and sometimes collector. She has earned several diplomas, all in other areas of emergency services, so all her horse knowledge comes from being on the farm and being Debs assistant manager. Kia is a Fire Fighter for the town of Oakville and also has started her own company in Confined Space Rescue. Her safety plans have been put in place at every facility we attend, with protocols in place for safety of all, horses and humans.
