Equine medical center's indoor arena helps clinician diagnose lameness in competitive horse

International eventing rider Kristen Parris could feel instinctively that something was wrong with the cantering of her horse Miles, a former racing thoroughbred, during a competitive dressage event. 

“As I was finishing in the 20-meter circle, he swapped behind,” Parris said. “He swapped his left lead behind to his right lead behind. … And then he swapped again behind. At this point, I know him pretty well, and he had never done anything like that before. So that was the first indicator that something wasn't quite right.”

Parris knew right where to bring Miles to find answers and treatment. Parris has brought many of her horses to the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center over the years because “it’s the best of the best here.”

The diagnostic and rehabilitation ability of the equine center has been enhanced with a state-of-the-art, philanthropy-supported facility now in its second year of operation. 

In December 2023, the equine center in Leesburg opened the Jane and Stephen Hale Equine Performance Evaluation Center, an indoor arena facility with 21,000 square feet of floor space and three surfaces, enabling clinicians to have greater ability to observe lameness and performance issues in horses.

The Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, one of three teaching hospitals of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine based at Virginia Tech, has thrived for 40 years because of the dedication and expertise of its faculty and staff, the devotion of horse enthusiasts throughout the mid-Atlantic region, and the generous financial support of donors with an interest in helping develop the highest quality care and service for horses and their owners.

Because of the expertise of its clinicians, led by clinician Gustavo Zanotto, and what the new indoor arena provides, Parris is back on the eventing circuit with Miles doing what she and her horse love most.

At first, that seemed like a distant possibility for Parris, who owns and operates Kristen Parris Eventing at A Deck Above Farm in Mount Airy, Maryland, and her 6-year-old horse Miles. 

An examination of Miles in July 2024, led by Zanotto, clinical assistant professor of equine sports medicine and lameness, while the horse was standing revealed sensitive muscles and stiffness in his back, neck, and pelvis, soreness near his spine, and tender tendons in his left hind leg. 

This was followed by dynamic examination as the horse was walked and jogged on the hard synthetic surface and the soft sand in the arena, which revealed mild hindlimb lameness, centered on the spine and pelvis.

Miles was treated with medications and shockwave therapy to relieve the pain and stiffness, then sent home for a gradual course of rehabilitation through walking and trotting. 

In two subsequent follow-up examinations over the next eight months, Miles showed marked improvement and was soon ready to return to eventing, which is an equestrian competition in which horse and rider compete in dressage, cross-country, and show jumping.

Parris and Zanotto said the indoor arena facility was crucial in being able to identify Miles’ lameness so quickly and develop the right treatment plan.

"I don't know if we would have a true read on exactly how he was, and how he's come back,” Parris said. “I don't think the progress would have happened as quickly as if we didn't have this facility, for sure.”

Besides offering plenty of space for a variety of horse movement on three surfaces, the arena also allows examination of horses without inclement weather issues or outside distractions.

“You're in this beautiful, covered arena, so it doesn't matter if it's raining or snowing or sleeting or if it's a crazy sunny day or if it's windy, you still feel like you're able to get that full evaluation without any interruptions,” Parris said. “You have the soft footing, you have the medium and then the hard — they all show something different and they all bring something different to the table that we didn't have before.” 

“I think there are many things that I was able to do here that I would not be able to do, on the outside or in a different environment,” Zanotto said. “We have this confined space. He's a young horse, all energetic. When you try to examine a horse like that outside, they're looking around all over the place. They're not in the right mindset. When you're looking for some very small details, it helps being in a place where the horse walks in and he understands that he needs to work and he carries himself as he would normally.”

Effective diagnosis and treatment of equine performance and other health issues comes down to the expertise of highly trained and experienced clinicians, supported by a staff of licensed technicians. But top-notch resources supported by donated funding such as those available at the equine center, including the new indoor arena, dramatically increase the chances that diagnoses are made quickly and treatment is effective.

Without the new equine performance center and arena, Zanotto said, “I don't know if I would be able to get to the root cause of his performance issues. We might do a few exams or we might guess something right that would help. But it's so hard for me to say how would that happen without these resources.” 

The facility namesakes, Jane and Stephen Hale, were long-term clients of the equine center and for 40 years owned and operated an equine facility in Lovettsville, Virginia.  They often showed and competed in hunter jumper classes, with Stephen Hale once placing fourth in a national competition at Madison Square Garden in New York.

As trustee of the Hales estate, Joe T. May embraced the opportunity to name the facility after the Hales. 

Aimee and Frank Batten provided the initial challenge gift to build the new indoor arena. Karen Jones Squires and James Squires made a significant gift when the costs of the performance center exceeded initial estimates. Many other donors also contributed to the project. 
 
Parris said entering the new facility for the first time “took my breath away.” Megan Bouttle, a fellow in sports medicine at the equine center, also described the facility as “breathtaking” and recalled working with Miles during his treatment and recovery. 
 
“For me, he was a great case to see the progression of his back pain and then the resolution of it and how he's done since,” said Bouttle, who has a veterinary degree from the University of Bristol in Great Britain and previously served as an intern at the equine center. “And Kristen's been great. I've kept up to date with her. She sent me some videos, and it's been really nice to see the progression.” 
 
Providing the opportunity for veterinary students and early-career veterinarians to learn their profession and contribute to it is an added feature of Parris’ experience with Miles. 
 
“It’s a teaching hospital,” Parris said. “So you have so many different sets of eyes that are on your horse. And I love that. Everyone is always talking about things and bouncing different ideas off of each other. So yes, you're seeing one vet, but you're really seeing numerous vets.” 
 
Parris is thankful for all the care her horses have received at the equine center and excited about its future. 
 
“There’s so many different opportunities here, and nothing is limiting,” Parris said. “And I'm involved in it, I feel like they involve me, which I really appreciate. I'm here as the horse's owner, but also his advocate. So it's lovely when you come here.”