Equine researcher, professor provides secrets to learning

GUELPH – “The thing that I see most commonly is people trying to learn all the details before having built their scaffold of basic understanding,”  says Ontario Veterinary College researcher and associate professor, Dr. Janet Beeler-Marfisi.

Horse owners often dive into articles about nutrition, respiratory disease, metabolic disorders, or the latest research findings and quickly become overwhelmed by unfamiliar terminology and scientific detail, before fully understanding the bigger picture.

According to Beeler-Marfisi, that approach can make learning harder than it needs to be. 

Her award-winning teaching philosophy is based on helping people understand big concepts first and then adding the details later.  

It’s an approach that has earned her three teaching awards this year from the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).  

The same learning strategies can help horse owners make sense of increasingly complex health information and become more confident in the decisions they make for their horses. 

“You don’t have to have a PhD-level understanding in order to do a good job of looking after your horse,” Beeler-Marfisi says.

Start with the big picture

Beeler-Marfisi recommends building a mental framework before attempting to absorb details. Rather than memorizing isolated facts, learners should first understand the core concept and how related ideas connect to it.

That might mean understanding how the respiratory system works before trying to interpret research on air pollutants, inflammation or equine asthma. 

Another strategy is mind mapping. By placing a central concept in the middle of a page and drawing connections to related topics, learners create a visual framework that shows how information fits together.

Students often find the technique useful because it creates the “scaffolding” needed before adding more complex information and seeing those relationships can make a complicated topic far less intimidating.

Make learning visual, memorable

Beeler-Marfisi is known for incorporating creative teaching techniques into her classrooms. Visual cues, drawings, and hands-on activities help students engage with concepts in multiple ways.

She also teaches memory techniques such as the “Method of Loci,” often called a memory palace. 

The method involves placing memorable images within a familiar location and mentally revisiting that space to recall information later.  Sometimes the more comical or outrageous the better.

Beeler-Marfisi recounted a presentation she gave at an equine expo where she brought in a vacuum cleaner to demonstrate the lungs hoovering up dust. “When you put your finger down on your tack box, it’s rare that it doesn’t come away with some dust on it and that is what we and the horses are breathing in … People don’t need to know that PM 2.5 crosses the lung barrier and then can go to the brain and does this, that and the other bad thing. They just need to know that it gets in the lungs, and this can contribute to equine asthma.”

Simplifying science 

One reason Beeler-Marfisi has become a valued contributor to educational resources at Equine Guelph is her ability to translate scientific concepts into practical knowledge.

Beeler-Marfisi said “Equine Guelph’s director Gayle Ecker told me this story: according to Einstein, if you couldn’t explain it to an eight-year-old, you didn’t really understand it. So I think many of us move throughout our day in our various ways of expertise, and we talk in a lot of jargon.”

Rather than overwhelming audiences with technical jargon, Beeler-Marfisi focuses on helping them understand the key message. 

For horse owners, that ability to separate essential takeaways from technical detail is particularly valuable. Research findings are important, but understanding how those findings affect daily horse care is what ultimately leads to better decisions.

Research literacy

As a researcher, Beeler-Marfisi believes horse owners benefit from understanding the science behind management decisions. 

One example she highlights is the growing evidence surrounding air quality and equine health. Horses exercised during periods of poor air quality may experience respiratory effects that persist well beyond the pollution event itself.

For owners, the lesson is not to become an expert in pulmonary physiology. Instead, it is to understand enough of the science to make informed choices that support the horse’s long-term health and well-being.  

Learning never stops

Whether she is teaching veterinary students, mentoring future professionals, or helping horse owners understand research, Beeler-Marfisi’s message remains consistent: learning works best when people feel supported, curious, and confident enough to ask questions.