Littleton Equine Medical Center has provided professional veterinary services to Denver, Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region since 1950. Today the practice has evolved into a state of the art, exclusively equine hospital and referral center.

Our practice proudly offers a long standing and strong externship program. Through this opportunity, externs are closely associated with a group of equine professionals with over 150 years of combined experience. Additionally, the externship program helps to expose our practice to bright minds and cutting edge ideas from around the world.

Rotating Services

As a student, wide and varied clinical exposure is essential. Our program is designed to offer participants a chance to learn from individual practitioners in each area of service. A typical week includes a mix of in-depth lameness, soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, field service, sports medicine, preventative medicine, intensive care case management, and (seasonally) reproduction.

On-site complimentary housing is available in the turn of the century mansion that serves as our hospital headquarters. These accommodations increase exposure to hospitalized and emergency cases.

Our externship program is for veterinary students enrolled in an AVMA accredited school of veterinary medicine and is generally a two week visit. May through October is reserved for third and fourth-year veterinary students. All other months are open for all veterinary students. [*Covid-19 update: Since we have restricted on-site visitation (March - June), we will set up a virtual process for those unable to visit. Information will be updated soon. Please contact students@littletonequine.com for questions]

Our practice consists of eighteen full time veterinarians and four interns. The practice is equipped for most surgical procedures and offers full service medical and ambulatory care as well. Preceptors participate in many aspects of patient care, and are assigned to a different clinician each week.

You will be able to observe clinicians in diagnostic evaluations, radiology, surgery and treatment of hospitalized patients. We also integrate preceptors into our emergency medicine and surgery service. In addition, we will expect you to be available at the hospital at night and on weekends to participate in emergency duty with the clinicians on call. Preceptors are also included in monitoring and treatment of hospitalized intensive care patients, and our emergency surgery team both at night and on weekends.

We strongly encourage student participation in case discussions during the Monday morning, 6:30 am, staff meeting, and are happy to entertain questions and discuss cases during clinical evaluations as long as it does not interfere with communication between the clinician and client.