At sunrise, while most of the campus is still quiet, soft nickers echo through the SUNY Morrisville Equine Rehabilitation Center (ERC). Vegas and Jerry’s ears perk forward as they recognize the familiar sound of students’ voices and footsteps approaching the barn.
Jerry, a chestnut Quarter Horse, is always the first to greet them, letting out a cheerful whinny before standing patiently, ready for attention and his breakfast.
For equine science bachelor’s degree students Marisa Stetson, Kirsten Parhiala, Ashley Moncalieri and Danielle Crumb, early morning routines at the facility are among the most fulfilling moments of their day. Throughout the summer, all four are gaining experience through internships at the ERC.
“The horses get so excited when we walk in,” said Stetson, who is concentrating in equine rehabilitation & therapy, along with western breaking & training.
The enthusiasm is mutual as students immerse themselves in internships focused on equine care.
The center helps horses from across the region, offering rehabilitation techniques to keep healthy horses conditioned and to help injured equine athletes recover after injury or surgery.
From underwater treadmill sessions and cold saltwater therapy to laser treatments and therapeutic ultrasound, students are putting their classroom knowledge into action in real-world, clinical settings.
“I enjoy learning about the modalities more in-depth and understanding horse behavior,” Moncalieri said of her internship.
The experiences are an important part of the ERC, a facility equipped with tools rarely found at the undergraduate level, including an underwater treadmill, cold saltwater spa, laser therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, vibration plates, solariums and more.
For Stetson, the hands-on experience and facilities were key factors in choosing SUNY Morrisville.
“I came to SUNY Morrisville specifically for equine rehab,” said Stetson, who lives in Westmoreland, New Hampshire. “As soon as I toured the facility, I knew this was where I wanted to go.”
Her internship is deepening her understanding of equine rehabilitation and therapy before she heads to North Carolina for her capstone internship at 3H Equine Hospital & Mobile Veterinary Service.
“I decided to do my internship here to learn as much as possible,” she said. Her ultimate goal is to work in an equine rehabilitation clinic.
Crumb shares that same passion for conditioning horses and helping them heal.
“I love the daily hands-on experience and how no two days are the same,” said Crumb, who is concentrating in equine rehabilitation & therapy. “This internship gives me real-world experience with all kinds of horses and I learn something new every day.”
The interns’ dedication is already making a difference as they work one-on-one with a variety of horses.
Jerry, a college-owned western lesson horse, is showing notable progress in an injured tendon, thanks to a range of therapeutic treatments, including cold saltwater spa therapy. He also walks in the underwater treadmill and receives ultrasound therapy three times a week.
“He loves the underwater treadmill,” Stetson said. “He is grumpy at first, but when we put him on the treadmill, he gets super-focused, ears up and is always ready to go.”
Victoria Reichard brought her horse, Vegas, to the center to rehabilitate a torn meniscus and to condition her for a future in pleasure riding.
The best part for Vegas — “it is definitely the attention she gets,” said Reichard, a graduate of the college’s equine science bachelor’s degree program.
The extra care is paying off. “She was quite lame and now she plays outside and is more energetic,” Reichard said.
An instructional support assistant at the college’s ERC and in its breeding program, Reichard values the hands-on learning that defines the program — something today’s interns are experiencing firsthand under the guidance of LeeAnn Chesebro.
Chesebro, of Clinton, serves as an instructional support assistant and barn manager at the ERC, where she works with veterinarians to develop treatment plans.
A 2020 graduate of the college’s equine science program, with a concentration in equine rehabilitation & therapy, Chesebro was inspired to pursue a career in the equine industry by stories of her great-grandfather, who owned and raced horses at Vernon Downs Racetrack.
That passion ultimately brought her back to SUNY Morrisville to help shape future professionals while continuing her work with horses.
“I was excited to come back,” Chesebro said. “What we do here for horses is such an important part of their lives.”
That sense of purpose is matched by the hands-on experience students gain each day. As horses are brought in and out for care, students are exposed to working with a variety of horses, new challenges and learning opportunities.
Zein, one of Morrisville’s Hunt Seat horses, used the lap pool to strengthen his muscles and get back into shape after being on stall rest due to an injury. The pool is designed to build cardiovascular strength and allow horses the flexibility to use their full range of motion without putting weight on their extremities.
Along with hands-on treatment sessions, interns take on daily responsibilities like maintaining equipment, cleaning stalls and keeping the barn running smoothly.
Every bit of their work comes with meaningful lessons.
“You learn to be patient, too,” said Parhiala, of Canastota, who is concentrating in equine rehabilitation & therapy, as well as breeding management. “Horses can’t speak, so you have to figure out their body language and how to communicate with them in your own way.”
That deep level of understanding is what drives Parhiala’s future goals.
“My dream is to have a rehab facility where I bring in abused horses and rehab all of them,” she said.
For now, she and her fellow interns are living out that dream in small but meaningful ways each day at SUNY Morrisville’s ERC.
“It’s so rewarding to watch them heal and return to their playful selves,” Crumb said. “I can’t wait to do this for the rest of my life.”
The center has opened its doors, offering the community haul-in days — an opportunity to bring their horses to the ERC for exercise conditioning sessions, Tuesday through Thursday, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. through mid-fall.
For more information, or to schedule a session, call 315.684.6601 or email equine.rehab@morrisville.edu. The ERC also offers guided tours, by appointment, for groups of all ages.
