There may come a time in the careers of our beloved equine athletes when they incur an injury, need care and treatment beyond our capabilities as owners and trainers, or just need a time-out from training. What do you do? An option is to consider a professional Sports Medicine Rehabilitation and Fitness Facility. Circle Oak Equine, located in Petaluma, owned and operated by Ron and Sara Malone, provides this valuable service to horse owners in the Bay Area. Thank you Circle Oak for sending us this Spotlight Profile! Check it out East Bay CDS!
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Circle Oak Eurociser and lovely Petaluma location
Circle Oak Equine, located in the Sonoma County town of Petaluma, just celebrated its first anniversary as a full-service, state-licensed veterinary facility. Under the supervision of Medical Director Carrie Schlachter, VMD, Circle Oak provides top-notch rehabilitation and fitness services for performance horses of all disciplines. Circle Oak is equipped with state of the art rehab and fitness equipment, such as a HydroHorseä underwater treadmill and an ECB cold saltwater spa. Their free-flow exerciser, at 72’ in diameter, is one of the largest in the country. What sets them apart, however, is that the rehab and fitness programs are designed and monitored by Schlachter, who is available for consultation by vets referring horses into the facility. Owners Ron and Sara Malone have hired a staff of educated, experienced technicians and assistants, led by Registered Veterinary Technician Kari Farley. ‘It’s important to have a calm, experienced staff,’ says Ron, ‘because most of the horses that come here are injured, and we cater to horses of all breeds and disciplines. It is vital that horses are handled calmly and competently at all times.’
Circle Oak Stall Aisle
Circle Oak has approximately 50 stalls, about a third of which are occupied by long-term residents, most of whom are retired. Rehab cases make up most of the rest of the facility’s business, although fitness and cross training are growing as a service line. Some of the rehab cases come directly from horse owners but the majority are referred by veterinarians, who appreciate the professionalism of the operation. Referring veterinarians are able to maintain control of their patients, with as much help from Dr. Schlachter as they wish. Owners are kept up to date on changes to their horse’s program and progress made.
Trainers have begun to use Circle Oak for fitness and cross training programs, either to prepare for big shows or to keep their horses in shape while they travel. A fitness regimen at Circle Oak includes Hydrotherapy, eurociser and turnout.
Circle Oak Water Treadmill
The HydroHorseä underwater treadmill is a key part of both the fitness and rehabilitation programs. The treadmill allows a horse to exercise using the same muscles and gait that it uses on land, with about a 60% reduction in impact. The resistance of the water means a superb cardiovascular workout, so the horse gets or stays fit with much less risk of injury. For horses that have been stall-bound the workout is as good for their mental health as it is for their body! For horses preparing for competition it is an invaluable tool in maintaining fitness and providing a mental break.
Owner Ron Malone conceived of the idea for Circle Oak when he was exploring options for rehabbing some of his own cutting horses. His own horses’ experience with state of the art therapies such as stem cell, PRP and IRAP led him to want to be able to offer a full array of services to client horses, and when the Malones joined forces with Dr. Schlachter a year ago, one of their first investments was in equipment which enables her (or outside vets) to perform and process these regenerative medicine therapies on site.
Circle Oak is committed to furthering equine health knowledge among horse owners, and to that end, held their first annual Equine Health Fair in March, which was attended by over 300 people. Numerous equine healthcare practitioners spoke and gave demonstrations and Dr. Schlachter is already planning for next year’s event.
Check out the website for more information: www.circleoakequine.com and if you’re headed to Sonoma County, call them for a tour!
Circle Oak Pond
