Carly Hillier - Founder & Pharmacognosist

​Carly Hillier - Dip(Hons) Eq Sc (UL), Dip in Zoopharmacognosy (IAZ)
Carly is a trained and qualified Applied Equine & Canine Zoopharmacognocist and is the Founder/Director of Whitethorn Equine Health Ltd
She enjoyed studying Equine Science  at University of Limerick and also studied and qualified at the Ingraham Academy of Applied Zoopharmacognosy (UK).  ​Carly has worked with horses in varying capacities for the last 25 years having enjoyed breeding and training youngsters as well as teaching riding. ​Carly hacks out when she can and loves walking her dog Russell and drumming. 

Annett - Team Vet

Annett Siggins - Veterinary Surgeon
​​​​​Annett qualified as a Veterinary Surgeon 15yrs  ago in Leipzig, Germany, where upon after qualifying she came to Ireland to work. ​She is also an Equine & Canine Chiropractor (training with the IAVC, UK 2010)  and is registered with the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association.  Annett also trained with Holistic Animals (USA) to become a practitioner in Equine & Canine Kinesiology Taping.
As a qualified Vet, Annett also uses plant extracts and Zoopharmacognosy alongside conventional medicines  - being the first vet in Ireland to use this particular type of integrated approach. In her spare time  Annett enjoys working her young sheep dog Asra alongside sharing her rural farming life with her husband and young children  at their farm in Sligo.

Kerstin - Team Vet

​Kerstin Koeppchen - Veterinary Surgeon
​​Kerstin is our Consultant equine nutritionist.
Born and raised as the middle child of three girls, Kerstin grew up in the big city of Düsseldorf, Germany and qualified as a vet in Hanover.
​Kerstin is passionate about Nutrition and knows from her 25yrs of breeding and owning Arabs the importance nutrition  plays  in maintaining  Equine health and preventing disease.  Kerstin has also trained in Acupuncture, Homoeopathy and Physiotherapy and uses them where appropriate in her work. She spends every moment possible with her four-legged family consisting a dog, a crazy cat and a herd of Arabs. She hacks out when she can!

Techy - Guru Izzy

Izzy Ashburner, Online Learning Coordinator
​Izzy is our techy wizard and is our 'go-to' expert for our E' Learning programmes.
She keeps us all hooked up and operational during our Equine & Canine workshops ensuring a smooth online learning experience for all our students.

​With many years of experience in creating and producing online learning  programmes she is a much welcome addition to the Whitethorn Team. Izzy is also the guardian of numerous horses, pigs, dogs, cats and goats on her small holding near Croagh Patrick in the West of Ireland. 

Silke - Science Guru

Dr Silke Kleefeld, Research & Studies Coordinator
​Dr Silke Kleefeld obtained a PhD in Natural Sciences with the German Polar and Marine Research Institute in Bremen, Germany, in 1996 and came to Ireland in 1998 to work as a researcher at the National University in Ireland, Galway. She worked for over ten years as technical support within the area of Biomedical and Pharmacological Research and is now Senior Technical Officer within the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at the University of Galway.
​As a horse and dog lover, Silke was looking for alternative health methods to support her Connemara pony George and her dog Pippin. She came across Applied Zoopharmacognosy and consequently completed the Foundation and Masterclass Levels with us. This has triggered her interest in researching more about the mechanisms of how herbs help the body to heal and so joined the Team! Her current area of interest is exploring the scientific background of Zoopharmacognosy and more specifically, assessing the recovery rate of horses when given the opportunity to self-select herbal extracts post-race.