An expansion to a horse health centre at the University of Saskatchewan is a welcome addition to an already cutting-edge program, said an official with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
"I think everybody here is quite ecstatic. It’s great," said Jacques Messier, director of the WCVM teaching hospital.
"We have everything you have in hospitals for humans."
The expanded facility will be called the Ryan/Dube Equine Performance Centre.
The name recognizes the longtime support for veterinary research and education by prominent Saskatoon philanthropists Heather Ryan and husband L. David Dube.
The couple contributed $1.2 million toward the expansion of the college’s existing equine performance centre.
The provincial government, Marg and Ron Southern of Calgary and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) provided the remaining funding for the $2.8-million project.
Construction will begin in February.
The project will add nearly 10,600 square feet to the centre and will improve the WCVM’s equine education, clinical and research programs.
Messier said the centre is unmatched in Western Canada and the addition will provide more space and eliminate wait times for treating horses’ medical needs.
"It puts everything in one place," he said.
WCVM dean Douglas Freeman said in a news release the expansion "will give our students, faculty and staff the tools and indoor space that they need to enhance horse health care in Western Canada.
"In particular, this building will be a focal point for diagnosing, treating and investigating different lameness issues. Through those activities, it will also be a place where our veterinary students can learn more about how to recognize and accurately diagnose the causes of lameness in horses and provide their future clients with the best treatment options."
Built in 1998, the original horse health facility includes a high-speed treadmill and a computerized force plate system.
The centre’s new features will include a paved indoor runway for lameness examinations, an indoor exercise ring that is critical for diagnosing and detecting subtle lameness issues and a multi-purpose area equipped with two restraint stocks. The centre will also become a focal point for horse-handling labs, teaching demonstrations and continuing veterinary education seminars, the release said.
Ryan and Dube’s previous contributions to the WCVM include a $1.07-million gift to the college’s equine and companion animal health programs.
They also created a matching gift incentive program in 2006 that has helped raise more than $450,000 for equine health research at the WCVM during the past four years, the news release said.
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