It was a tough, old cowboy who first
started showing Ed Squires what it
meant to be a horseman. As a young
boy growing up in Morgantown, West
Virginia, Dr. Squires worked for the horse
dealer feeding and watering the horses
that were being bought and sold. He
learned how to catch a horse, tie a good
knot, and overcome fear. At times, it was
a rough and tumble childhood with
sprains, cuts and sore muscles – all
treated by the old cowboy using downhome
horse medicine, most often a green
liniment that seemed to be the cure-all
for any and every ailment.
The result of that early equine imprinting was a passion for horses that has spanned six decades and shows no sign of abating. Dr. Squires, now a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, has enjoyed an illustrious career in equine reproduction that has brought advances in assisted technologies once unimaginable. His work continues today as a teacher, researcher, consultant, and advocate for the ongoing efforts of the Equine Reproduction Laboratory.
“That ranch owner was an excellent horseman who taught me a lot of practical lessons,” said Dr. Squires. “I continued working for him while I was getting my undergraduate degree, helping to break and train horses, and helping out as the ranch expanded to offer boarding and horse rentals. I was exposed to a great number of horses during those 10 years, and it was an important part of my education.”
Dr. Squires received his bachelor’s degree in animal sciences and his master’s degree in reproductive physiology from West Virginia University before attending the University of Wisconsin where he studied under Dr. O. J. Ginther and received a PhD in endocrinology/reproductive physiology. He taught at the University of New Hampshire for two years before coming to Colorado State University in 1976 where he was assigned to the Equine Reproduction Laboratory.
“It was a much smaller facility then and I was mainly doing teaching and research, with a little bit of clinical work,” said Dr. Squires. “My previous work had been focused on the pregnant mare. Here, we started an embryo transfer program, developing ways to recover and transfer equine embryos. We built a large program around this area of research, and began to offer commercial services in embryo transfer as well as teaching the techniques to veterinarians through continuing education classes.”
In 1985, the Equine Reproduction Laboratory was the first in the United States to produce live foals from frozen thawed embryos. Dr. Squires’ research work over the years, in addition to artificial insemination and embryo transfer, included estrous cycle control, endocrinology of the mare and stallion, and preservationpreservation of stallion semen. He also worked to establish relationships within the equine industry to garner private support for equine reproduction research at Colorado State University.
“My career has mainly been identifying problems in the horse/veterinary industry, solving the problem, and giving the answer right back to the industry as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Squires. “I’ve spent a lifetime developing answers to questions and establishing a rapport with people in the horse industry asking them to support our program. The majority of our research, about 90 percent, is supported through funding from private individuals and foundations. Their support has been critical to our success.”
Dr. Squires is the founder of the Preservation of Equine Genetics (PEG) program which focuses on developing reproductive techniques used to preserve genetic material. During the past five years, the laboratory has spent more than $5 million on research and facilities development thanks in large part to fundraising through the PEG program.
While the work of the Equine Reproduction Laboratory primarily benefits horses, Dr. Squires said an interesting offshoot of the program has been application of the research to the preservation of endangered species and their genetic material. In addition, Dr. Squires has been able to travel to remote corners of the world to share assisted reproduction technology, including the polo fields of Argentina and the steppes of Mongolia, a long way from his early horse experiences in Morgantown.
