Hundreds visit Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center open house to celebrate 25th anniversary

Nearly 500 visitors helped Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center (EMC), Leesburg, VA, celebrate its 25th anniversary at a recent open house where a variety of demonstrations on live horses provided a first-hand look at the center’s high-quality health care services for all ages and breeds of horses.

Demonstrations included equine dentistry, acupuncture, endoscopy, and ultrasound. Watching horses running on the center’s high-speed treadmill, visitors learned how this diagnostic tool can help identify cardiac and respiratory problems they might have. In addition, stuffed toy ponies were used for “equine surgery.”

Visitors also learned how foals are cared for at the hospital, how x-rays are taken and what they show, and how the center’s resident blood donor horses contribute to equine health care as needed. The EMC’s equine ambulance, the only vehicle of its kind in Virginia, was also on display at the event.

Nat White, DVM, Jean Ellen Shehan professor, and EMC director, presented “Recognizing and Treating Colic.” Many aspiring veterinarians attended the lecture, “So You Want to be a Veterinarian?”, by Jacque Pelzer, DVM, and director of admissions and student services at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

Several special guests generously donated time to bring their horses to the center so visitors could get a first-hand look at the kinds of jobs horses can do. Seven of the U.S. Army’s Caisson Platoon and Therapeutic Riding Program horses were at the center and an injured soldier demonstrated the therapeutic value of horseback riding. In addition, a miniature horse named Bo performed tricks and learned behaviors on commands from his owner. The Clydesdale, Forrest, awed visitors with his size, his beauty, and his calm demeanor.

Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center is a premier full-service equine hospital offering advanced specialty care, 24-hour emergency treatment, and diagnostic services for all ages and breeds of horses. It is one of  three campuses that comprise the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Posted July 2, 2009