Summer Continues at RREH

I’ve determined that summer in Lexington is marked by the point when the weanlings go from cute and petite to monster-size (some being well over 500 lbs…) and feisty! We’re continuing in surgery with many of the prep surgeries for the fall yearling thoroughbred sales at Keeneland, Saratoga, and elsewhere, but we are also seeing quite a few colic surgeries (even the elusive epiploic entrapment), fracture repairs, tie-back surgeries – 2 Percherons in fact!, and several more specialty surgeries (including more Baskets). In fact, over the weekend there were approximately 7 or 8 colics that came in on emergency – though not all of them had to be “cut”. We even had a few visitors from the Triple Crown races last week, though I can’t say whom out of respect for client confidentiality!

For my case of the week… We had a pretty bad fracture repair mid-week, and being an orthopedics fan, I found this case highly interesting. This filly was in her first major year of racing (probably a contributor to her injury), and had a right hind metacarpal III (cannon bone) spiral fracture - which are notoriously difficult to repair and notoriously difficult for horses to recover from safely and soundly. Dr. Embertson – a fellow MSU grad from back in the day! - was even hesitant on the fixation, given the size, type, and location of the fracture. However, he successfully plated the fracture with a 12-hole plate and lag screws (rads are coming)! The filly is doing much better here at the hospital, though the next several weeks remain absolutely critical to determining if the fracture will heal adequately to allow her to return to an active career.

Here at RREH, we have many cases where – like this filly – cost of surgery is not a concern. We’ve operated on several horses in the last week that were worth well over $1.5 million, and it’s easy to become “star-struck” by the equine celebrities that walk through the door. However, I like to remind myself that every horse here – and elsewhere – is more valuable than its weight in gold to someone, somewhere. In fact, some of the most valuable horses are the ones that are retired from competition and now spend their days helping children with disabilities, or the ones that enrich their owner’s life simply by giving them something to look forward to after a long day at work.

Okay… off my soapbox! Another aspect of my summer that I have neglected to mention is how much I have enjoyed meeting the new (and old!) RREH interns and the many externs that have come through the house this summer. I have met new friends from UGA to Texas A&M, Guelph to Edinburgh, Buenos Aires to Munich – and they all have taught me something about the path that we take in vet school, and how each opportunity shapes (or even just tweaks) our career plan. They have also shown me how universal veterinary medicine is, and how no matter where you go, you can always find at least one equine enthusiast similar to yourself!

I leave you now with a few photos:

One of the local favorites - Wallace Station, a small diner on Old Frankfort Pike that sits right in the middle of horse country. It was once featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

The drive to Wallace Station features some of the best views you could ask for - literally, you pass some of the world's most beautiful farms, including Donamire, Stonestreet (home of legendary Rachel Alexandra), and Darby Dan to name a few.

 

Apparently, it rains a lot here in KY - and without fair warning. Note to self: never leave the windows in the car open! Rain apparently also means that there will be emergency colics coming in (so we all knock on wood when it storms!).