A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 25, 1996
Equine Medical Center: Comprehensive Teaching, Research, Service
(Continued from Page A 1)
relax and he falls asleep against the
pads. The medical team swings
into action. The padded partition
swivels back. TTie wall opens,
exposing the operating area. In
frantic gentleness, the attendents
tug their half-ton patient onto the
gurney that is positioned in the
operating room ready to receive
the horse, who is oblivious to all
the activity around him.
When ready, the gurney is
wheeled into operating position.
Medical machines start Flood
lights are positioned. A light blue
drape is placed over the patient
Sanitary gloves are sleeved over
each hoof.
The leg with the splinter that
needs to be removed is secured.
lodine covers the wounded area. A
safety razor is used to shave the
hair around the wound.
And thus, another of the nearly
200 operations that are done each
The patient Is coaxed
Foals receive round-the-clock attention from medical
staff and volunteers who work at the Center tor the experi
ence and the love of horses.
month are ready to commence at
the Marion duPont Scott Equine
Medical Center in Leesburg. Va.
What started as a dream 11 years
ago has now become one of the
premier medical establishments
for the nation’s equine industry. A
$4 miDirni gift from the late Mrs.
Marion duPont Scott and a dona
tion of 200 acres of land by the
Westmoreland Davis Memorial
Foundation made the center possi
ble. In addition, $2.2 million from
private sources was raised to fund
equipment acquisition. The
Equine Medical Center serves as
the Leesburg campus of the
Virginia-Maryland RegionalTtol
lege of Veterinary Medicine. It is
part of a comprehensive veterinary
teaching, research, and service
program based at Virginia Tech in
Blacksburg. Va., and the Avrum
Gudelsky Veterinary Center at the
University of Maryland at College
Park.
Into the padded holding area.
Tugging the half-ton, sleeping patient onto the gurney requires effort.
Dr. Fred Fregin was given the
task of developing the center when
it was only the building. At the
time, there was no staff, no equip
ment, and no money to secure
either. And there was no clientele.
After serving on the staff at New
Bolton Center at the University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for
17 years and then several years at
Cornell University in Ithaca, N. Y.,
Dr. Fregin heard about a possible
position at the new equine center.
Thinking he might like to devote
himself full time to the care of
horses, he applied for a position on
the stair. In the first interview, he
was given the opportunity to
mastermind the development of
both the center and the center’s
programs.
How do you convince estab
lished vetemarians to come and
take a chance oh something that
exists only in the dreams of those
who foresaw the potential? Dr.
Fregin has just the winning person
ality and pursuasive approaches to
get the job done.
‘The most exciting thing about
the Center is that is is a true public/
(Turn to Pago A3O)
D'- masterminded the development of tho Marlon cfuPont Scott Equina
Medical Cantor In Leesburg, Virginia. A portrait In oil of Marlon duPont Scott that
jSXXStSSTJ!! ■*! lo y fn ? ,#fl - *o* h#r ,#mou# horM Bamaahlp that In 1938
ms the first American-bred and owned horse to win the Grand National Steeplechase
at Aintrae, England, is ahown in the large oil painting.
Getting ready to remove a large splinter.