CSR Equine Sport Medicine Team New Addition to CNFR

Advanced Diagnostic and Treatment Tools Available

 

Human athletes competing at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) have benefitted from and depended on medical care provided by Orthopaedic and Spine Center of the Rockies.

                This year, for the first time, the equine athletes will have a similar opportunity. The Copper Spring Ranch Equine Sports Medicine Team will be available throughout the competition. Their 48-foot custom designed trailer will be at the fairgrounds where contestant’s horses are housed with emergency care available at the Casper Events Center.

                The trailer contains the latest and greatest diagnostic and treatment tools that technology has to offer. And, all of that technology can be transmitted back to an owner’s vet for consultation. Diagnostic tools include X-rays, high-definition ultrasound, endoscopy and complete blood analysis.

                Dr. Ellis Farstvedt, managing veterinarian for Copper Spring Ranch’s Equine Medical Center in Bozeman, Mont., along with two nurses will staff the mobile unit at the CNFR. Dr. Farstvedt graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University and completed a three-year residency in Equine Surgery at Colorado State University.

                “Injuries that any basketball or football player can get are similar to the type of injuries we see in horses,” Dr. Farstvedt said. “They can have pulmonary problems that are similar to humans like asthma. To perform at their best, they have to be as healthy as they can be, and that’s where we can help.”

                Taking a horse to the CSR Equine Sports Medicine Team’s mobile unit would be similar to taking it to a referral clinic. The closest one to Casper is 150 miles away in Sheridan. Pricing at clinics has been studied and compared and set in accordance with other specialized clinics.

                The Equine Sports Medicine Team will work closely with Dr. Donald Cobb, from Casper who has been the official veterinarian of the CNFR since it moved to Casper in 1999.

                “This is probably the single most positive addition that we could make to the CNFR,” Dr. Cobb said. “The horses that these kids are going to be competing on are pretty hard to find and even harder to replace. You’ve got to take good care of them and having access to this kind of technology and specialists will be great. I’m really excited about it being here.”

                The technology on the trailer rivals that of any other clinic in the state of Wyoming. Having it at the CNFR will enable competitors to give their horses’ quality medical attention without ever having to put them in a trailer. Having a board certified surgeon with the talent and expertise of Dr. Farstvedt is a bonus. His knowledge and experience have helped many horses when there is trauma and with the technology available, horse owners will know what all of their options are.

                “The best thing about my job is being able to help horses,” Dr. Farstvedt said. “It’s very satisfying when there is a horse with a problem and be able to fix it. That’s fun.”