State-of-the-art horse hospital opens near Bozeman

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP)--A new state-of-the-art medical and surgical center for horses in the Rocky Mountains has opened at a prominent equine training and breeding center west of Bozeman, Mont.

CSR Equine specializes in lameness and reproductive care, but also provides emergency and general health services for horses, as well as alternative medicine like acupuncture, said veterinarian John Smart, who leads the center.

"We're building a world-class team with advanced capabilities to serve the greater Rocky Mountain West," he said. "Exceptional equine care is a combination of expertise and equipment as well as proximity between horse and hospital."

Area ranchers, breeders and horse owners would normally haul their animals to Denver or Washington state for similar care, spokeswoman Bridget Cavanaugh said.

The 10,000-square-foot hospital is an affiliate of Copper Spring Ranch, a leading producer of rodeo and performance horses near Four Corners.

It opened in middle July, with veterinarians performing the first surgery--an ovariectomy--on a mare July 18 using high-definition laparoscopy equipment normally reserved for human medicine, Cavanaugh said.

It was the first time a veterinary hospital had used such technology, she said.

The all-digital facility features padded intensive care and recovery stalls, exam rooms, an in-house laboratory and a covered lameness exam area. Alternative therapies like massage are offered, and future expansion is already planned, Smart said.

"With a team approach and top-of-the-line facilities and technology, we're well positioned in southwest Montana to build a new practice to serve the growing need for specialty care and surgery in the region," he said.

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Date: 9/28/07