Equine Specialty Hospital

Had a wonderful tour, or rather, two tours at the Equine Specialty Hospital in Burton in Geauga County. I was able to join both of our tour groups for successive tours this time, which made it even more interesting for me.
The Equine Specialty Hospital is generally a referral facility, which means that most of their patients were referred by veterinarians who weren't able to treat the animal or felt that the hospital was the best place for treatment. This means that they have some of the most cutting edge technology in equine medicine today. Each tour I took was slightly different because the guides were different, so we were able to experience almost every aspect of the hospital.

The first thing you might notice when you arrive may be the underlying aroma of horse and the bodily fluids associated with an ill or injured horse. The facility is not grand, but practical. From outside, it seems small and has a quaint tudor style. Inside, every inch of space is used for the animals, treatment, etc. We were taught in the hallway about radiation diagnosis and other technologies with photos to view of some former patients and their treatments. I've never seen a horse completely upside-down before. We visited the ICU stalls, the CT scan room, the radiation room, where we saw the overhead track and pulley which lifts the patients onto x-ray tables, the CT scan, operating tables, etc. We also went through the pre-op room and the lab, where the children found out why they don't put any food in that particular refrigerator.
We all had many questions and the staff was very gracious about answering every one. I learned more than I ever thought I would about equine medicine.

What an interesting place to visit! We saw some amazing animals, and I am so glad that there is a facility like this to save the lives of these horses. If you're interested in scheduling your own tour, you can find contact info on their website at www.equinespecialtyhospital.com. Younger children will be bored with all the talk and medical mumbo jumbo. This is a "hands-off" tour for the most part because of all the medical equipment around. Especially great for your upper elementary or older student who is interested in horses or medicine.