MCF Equine Rehabilitation and Physiology Center  

Campaign Progress

In order to enhance the well-being, health, and happiness of your horse, and to elevate the Morrisville Equine Institute’s programs and services to a higher level of support for the entire equine industry, we seek to expand our current facility to include stabling for an additional 40 horses, an indoor galloping track, and an exercise physiology and rehabilitation center.

The addition of a “hands-on” Exercise Physiology course for all equine students would present an opportunity for the analysis of such physiological parameters as: blood lactate levels, muscle typing, blood gas analysis, and simple blood analysis (hematocrits, red and white cell counts, and hemoglobin levels). These parameters would provide a sampling of how a particular horse is progressing in terms of conditioning, as well as give early detection of a pending disease or physiological problem. To this end, an endowed faculty chair and laboratory will be added to MSC’s Equine Institute so that students, horses, and equipment can be effectively managed in a classroom setting. Additionally, for outside owners of horses, this would be a bill-back situation for horses that periodically need to be evaluated for this type of analysis.

The addition of a rehabilitation center will directly benefit college-owned horses, college-trained horses, and provide a unique level of service to horse owners who seek access to high-tech modalities that are currently unavailable in Central New York. An Aquaciser, or underwater treadmill, will be available for horses that need some conditioning in post-operative care, horses coming off extended lay-offs due to lameness, and horses that cannot withstand the rigors of traditional track work to maintain fitness.

A Eurociser is the next generation of hot walkers but have multiple speeds, less resistant for the horses, and is computer-operated. Like the Aquaciser, the Eurociser is used for post-operative care, pre-conditioning and general fitness maintenance.

A hyperbarcic chamber provides opportunities to enhance current therapy programs by forcing oxygen into diseased or damaged areas of the horse's body. The desired effect is created by increasing atmospheric pressure in the chamber by 2-3 times the normal rate.

The final rehabilitative apparatus is a swimming pool that provides a more strenuous level of activity beyond an Acquiciser. This is essentially cross training for the horses that are multi-arthritic or cannot withstand the rigors of conventional track conditioning.

The Morrisville College Foundation Equine Rehabilitation & Physiology Center will provide our students with an educational experience that would be unmatched by any other institution at either the associate or baccalaureate level in the United States. Moreover, this center, and your contributions will effectively enable MSC students and faculty to have a direct, measurable, and truly positive impact on the quality and length of your horse’s life.