FTBOA

The graded stakes-winning 3-year-old colt had suffered a dorsal cortical stress fracture of the left front cannon bone while training at the racetrack. An Ocala veterinarian prescribed a proactive treatment, employing The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Center to administer laser therapy.

“The veterinarian developed a treatment protocol of thirty days stall rest and therapeutic laser therapy,” said Brenda McDuffee, who serves as The Sanctuary's general manager. “We began with three consecutive days of laser treatment, followed by two weeks of treatments every other day and concluding with two weeks of treatments twice a week.”

After 29 days, the veterinarian took radiographs of the colt's leg and concluded that with use of the laser treatments that “in less that 30 days there was significant improvement of radiographic appearance of the fracture. These fractures normally take 90 days to heal.”

Within six months, the colt returned to the racetrack to resume his racing career.

 This is the kind of success story envisioned when managing partner Tom Grabe first proposed the idea of an equine state-of-the-art sports therapy and rehabilitation center. The Sanctuary, an Ocala-based, 26-acre facility offers a comprehensive A to Z menu (AquaPacer to Zamar) of specialty treatments and therapies. The emphasis here is addressing and healing the ailments and injuries that are unfortunately the nature of the equine athlete. And utilizing the most advanced medical technologies to reach that goal.

The first-ever facility of its kind in the Ocala area provides a wish list of must-haves in the area of equine sports therapy and rehab: hyperbaric oxygen chamber, AquaPacer treadmill, cold saltwater hydrotherapy, P3-electromagnetic pulse therapy, Pegasus therapy laser, infrared light therapy, Zamar ice/heat therapy and Transpirator II chelated silver respiratory therapy. There is also a 126-foot long, 14-feet deep saltwater equine swimming pool, a five-furlong training track, two Equigym free exercisers and turnout paddocks.

The 40,000-square foot main complex that houses the therapy equipment also consists of a 20-stall barn, a 70x200 therapy area, air conditioned exam and conference rooms; rubber pavers are installed throughout for safety. There is also an additional 20-stall barn in the infield of the training track.

In addition, The Sanctuary provides mobile unit services to farms, training centers, sales and equine shows. Treatments such as Pegasus laser, P3 electromagnetic pulse and and Transpirator therapies can be brought right to the client.

Looking For A Solution  

“My wife Amy and I are longtime Quarter horse breeders,” explained Grabe. “We had a couple of horses that had some physical issues and ended up having to have surgery. After the surgery, we brought them home and they became lawn ornaments. The horses weren’t happy with that and neither were we. That’s what got us thinking about getting them some physical therapy while they recuperated from the surgeries.”

Grabe checked around to see what was available in the Ocala area and located a couple of equine swimming facilities. But the problem was that thanks to the large equine population in the area, all the swimming facilities were booked solid. Finally through word of mouth, Grabe was able to arrange to use a private farm’s swimming pool for his horses. But the experience got him to thinking.

“Ocala is a major equine center and I knew if I had had trouble finding a swimming facility, then others had as well,” said Grabe. “Then I started thinking about all the other kinds of equine sports therapies and what if there was a place in Ocala that offered those as well. I just had to believe that was something that would be welcomed.”

Two years later in September, 2007, after the Grabes partnered with Tim and Ann Admonius and Ron Scott, the property for The Sanctuary was bought. Nine months later, The Sanctuary officially opened on June 28, 2008.

Located west of Ocala just off U.S. Highway 27 on Northwest Highway 225, the property had been a revolving door of breeding and training operations over the years. Ironically, the property itself was the initial rehab client for The Sanctuary partners.

“The basic infrastructure of the facility was good,” said Grabe. “But we had to do major refurbishing throughout to get it to be the facility we envisioned. And, of course, once you get into those sorts of things, it always takes longer than you think it will. But we are very pleased with the end results and have been happy with people’s reaction when they come to visit. People say they don’t recognize the place from before when they drive up.”

While the facility was being remodeled, the partners began acquiring a staff and making initial contact with the area equine community. Brenda McDuffee, who with husband Don owns and operates McDuffee Quarter Horses, was hired as general manager. Soon joining her was a staff of vet techs, providing varied backgrounds, knowledge and experience in a multitude of equine endeavors. There is no staff veterinarian for The Sanctuary, allowing for independent vets to use the facility as needed for their clients.

“We felt not having a veterinarian on staff was the way to go,” said Grabe. “That way there would be no conflict of interest and we could draw a wider clientele base. We are here to serve the equine community and have an open-door policy to everyone.”

McDuffee added, “We like to think of ourselves as an equine Switzerland. We’re neutral and open-minded.”

Advancing Technologies

While horsemen are familiar with laser and electromagnetic therapies, new technologies have made them even more effective. And the same technologies have also brought new therapies like the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, cold saltwater hydrotherapy, chelated silver respiratory therapy and above ground water treadmill.

“It was our goal to have as many of these advanced sports therapies and treatments as possible available,” said Grabe. “Most of these therapies have been used or are being used with humans. Now they’ve been adapted for horses and we think that’s very exciting.”

McDuffee added, “Therapies also change over the years and evolve into something else, usually for example into something better like the AquaPacer and hyperbaric oxygen chamber.”

Instead of submerging a horse in water as the standard aquatred does, the AquaPacer is a raised, glass-enclosed treadmill that the horse walks up onto. Then the water fills to whatever required level necessary for the particular therapy; the speed of the treadmill and the water temperature are also customized. Akin to treading a mountain river current, the horse uses more of a full range of motion to get therapeutic, anaerobic and aerobic benefits without the stress of impact. There is also less chance of the horse cheating since there is less buoyancy as with a conventional aquatred.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy makes it possible for horse to receive oxygen delivered at higher than normal atmospheric pressures while in the chamber. This allows a super influx of oxygen throughout the body, promoting the formation of new red blood cells, accelerating healing and improving the effectiveness of medications. The Sanctuary has had success using the hyperbaric chamber to treat broodmares with reproductive issues.

“We are also very pleased with the results we're having with treating racehorses with respiratory problems with the Transpirator II,” said McDuffee. “The therapy uses a chelated silver additive, delivering it via a vaporized warm steam rather than the water droplets of a nebulizer. This allows the entire respiratory system to be soaked with the chelated silver.”

Both McDuffee and Grabe see value not only in treatment, but in preventive measures as well.       

“Our hope is that not only will people be willing to use these advanced therapies and treatments to heal their horses, but that they will use them as preventive measures as well,” said Grabe. “Whether used for recreation or competition, all horses are athletes on some level and therefore they are going to have some physical issues.”