Page 12 - The Game February 2006

12 The Game, February 2006 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
Equine Hospital Just Round the Corner
Bruce Watt DVM (left), Equine Veterinary Surgeon and Diplomate American College of Veterinary Surgeons; with Intern Sandy Jameson in the surgical suite at Caledon Equine Hospital.
Dr. Bruce Watt opened the doors of his Caledon Equine Hospital in July 2005 and the comment he has heard the most since then has been, “We’re really glad you’re here.”
With so few equine hospitals in Ontario, Bruce felt there was a need for an additional facility and after searching many properties for the perfect location he found it right in the heart of horse country in Caledon.
Caledon Equine Hospital is located on the former Armstrong property on highway 10 just south of Old Base Line Road. It took six months to transform the former standardbred yearling run-in building into a state of the art equine hospital.
No details were overlooked in the transformation from the barn built in 1978 to the hospital and although there are still a few finishing touches to be made, they are mainly aesthetic.
One of the more convenient features of the hospital is the drive up window, which allows you to check-in and receive instructions without leaving your vehicle.
The first examination room is 30 feet from the door and is complete with a stock stall, perfect for colicky horses or standing laparoscopy surgery.
There are two additional exam rooms which have x-ray and ultrasound equipment with the developing done on site.
Bruce was present during the construction to make sure everything was built with the best interest of the horse in
mind. There are 10 bright and airy recovery stalls each equipped with padded stall flooring and plastic covered puck board walls which are easy to keep clean.
Sometimes when a horse needs surgery, the surgery tends to be the easy part, it is the sedation and recovery process that can be dangerous for both the horse and handlers.
The induction, surgery and recovery halls at Caledon Equine Hospital have been designed to keep the horse as safe as possible.
Using swinging gates and hoists the horse is safely sedated and transferred to the surgery table which is equipped with a special water mattress, imported from Australia, to help alleviate muscle or nerve problems during surgery.
The recovery hall was designed similar to a structure at Ohio State University. The thick padded walls and flooring is a similar type of flooring system used by professional gymnasts,
firm yet soft, it was designed to withstand the thrashing and vaulting of the horses as they come
out of the sedation. The handlers work with ropes
from a special platform above the room giving them safe control of the head and tail to safely help the horse to their feet.
A lot of the special touches in the hospital come from the innovations Dr. Watt has seen during his extensive travels which has also provided him with a wealth of contacts who are available to help solve any problems or complicated cases.
The son of Dr. Ralph Watt, Bruce was born and raised in Markham, Ontario. He graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph in 1989. His residency was at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and he also worked in Australia for a few months before taking time out to do some personal travel. He completed his Internship at the Illinois Equine Hospital in Naperville, doing a fair bit of work at Arlington Racetrack and was an Instructor of Surgery at the University of Florida
in Gainesville.
He also had a mixed practice of small animal and cow
and calf work in Cremona, Alberta for 4 years as well as gaining experience in Kamloops and Langley in British Columbia and Yellowknife.
Today, Dr. Bruce Watt, is one of only ten large animal Board Certified Surgeons in Ontario and although the “skiing is better” out west, Dr. Watts felt that there was a need for his hospital and services in the Caledon area.
Caledon Equine Hospital offers medical and surgical colic management, diagnostic services such as radiography, ultrasonography, arthroscopy, laparoscopy along with soft tissue and orthopedic surgery with 24 hour emergency service. Lameness, pre-purchase and insurance exams are also available.
For more information or to drop by for a visit call 905-838-0038.
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By Jackie Humber
Mark your calendars. February 19 is the annual Stallion Parade at Canmor Farms and the “must attend” event is a sure sign of that the breeding season is here.
Joining outstanding Stallions Regal Intention, Stephanotis and Light Of Mine, Canmor Farms will be introducing two additional stallions this season: Terrell and The Lady's Groom.
Terrell is an allowance winning son of one of North America's leading sires Distorted Humor who is a Graded Stakes winner of $769,964 and the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide. Terrell is out
of Falfurrias by Devil's Bag. He is a dark bay/brown six year old who showed tremendous speed during his racing career. His 114 winning Beyer at six furlongs is one of the highest of 2004. According to Canmor Stallion Manager, Phil Hall, he is receiving quite a bit of interest, "A lot of people have shown interest in him and we have received many (telephone) calls," said Hall.
With his curious disposition and handsome good looks Terrell is sure to be a crowd pleaser at the Parade. He is Breeders’ Cup Nominated and owned by Ross McLeod.
The Lady's Groom is the second new addition to the group of Stallions at Canmor Farms. The Lady's Groom is by Runaway Groom out of T.K.O. Lady by Two Punch. He is a six -year- old Chestnut Stallion
with earnings of $424,000.
Canmor Farms Secretary, Maureen Goss is pleased
with the gentle nature of The Lady's Groom. "He's quite a gentleman and the breeders will really like that about him," said Goss.
After viewing The Lady's Groom it is easy to predict that this handsome Stallion with outstanding conformation will be busy this breeding season. The Lady's Groom is Breeders’ Cup nominated and is owned by Sky Arctic Thoroughbreds.
Canmor Farms is pleased to invite all breeders and horsemen to attend this seasons Stallion Parade on Sunday Feb 19 starting at 2 p.m.