Dr Yolandi Smit BSc, BVSc, MSc Section Head Lecturer: Equine Surgery ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4298-4496

Summary CV

Dr. Yolandi Smit qualified from the University of Pretoria, Faculty of Veterinary Science in 2009 and joined the Department as an intern in Equine Medicine and Surgery in 2010. She completed her MSc during her internship. After completing the internship, Dr. Smit spent two years in a Equine private practise before returning to the Department in 2013 as a resident (MMedVet) in Equine Surery. She is currently a lecturer in equine surgery for under- and postgraduate students. Dr. Smit has three publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Research Expertise/Interest

Dr. Smit’s MSc degree focused on radiographic changes in yearling thoroughbred horses at sales, for which >500 prepurchase radiographs were evaluated.  Her research expanded further to evaluate intra-articular platelet-rich plasma in osteoarthritic joints to explore future treatment protocols for horses affected by osteoarthritis. Her specific interest in wildlife lead to the first publication of an osteochondroma in a white rhinocerus.

Postgraduate Students

MSc

• Dr. Elza Hollenbach completed her undergraduate training at the University of Pretoria in 2017 and is currently working on a project investigating the prevalence of radiographic changes in the foot and metacarpophalangeal joints of South African endurance horses. Knowledge about the prevalence of specific radiographic changes would enable equine practitioners to improve their diagnostic skills and approach to lameness in endurance horses.
• Dr Tabitha Prior completed her undergraduate training at the University of Pretoria in 2017 and is currently working on a project investigating the prevalence of radiographic changes in the proximal metacarpi and carpi of South African endurance horses. Knowledge about the prevalence of specific radiographic changes would enable equine practitioners to improve their diagnostic skills and approach to lameness in endurance horses.   

MMedVet

• Dr Gideon Stemmet completed his undergraduate training at the University of Pretoria in 2015 and is currently working on investigating intra-articular buprenorphine as an alternative for joint pain in a LPS induced synovitis model. The aim of this proposed study is to evaluate the analgesic effect of buprenorphine administered intra-articularly in horses. It is important to establish if buprenorphine can be used clinically as an alternative to morphine and if it can offer any benefits such as a greater degree of analgesia or a longer duration of effect.