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Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital facts for kids
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| Equine veterinarians | |
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| Founded | 1986 |
| Headquarters | 2150 Georgetown Road Lexington, Kentucky 40511 |
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Key people
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| Divisions | Saratoga Springs, New York Wellington, Florida |
Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital is a special hospital for horses in Lexington, Kentucky. It was started in 1986 by two veterinarians, William Rood and Thomas Riddle. This hospital helps all kinds of horses with many different health needs. They have even treated famous Thoroughbreds, which are racing horses. Rood & Riddle also helps at big horse events, like the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games. You can find other Rood & Riddle locations in Saratoga Springs, New York and Wellington, Florida.
Meet the Founders
William Rood, often called Bill, is the main leader of Rood & Riddle. He studied horses at the University of Louisville.
Thomas Riddle grew up in South Carolina. His dad was also a horse doctor. Thomas became a veterinarian in 1978. He is an expert in helping horses have babies. He still visits horse farms around Lexington often. Thomas joined Bill's practice in 1981, and they became partners in 1984. Together, they opened Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in 1986.
Larry Bramlage is another important partner at Rood & Riddle. He is a surgeon who fixes horse bones and joints. He shared that when he first started, surgery was a last choice for horse injuries. Now, surgery is often the first and best way to help horses heal.
A Special Hospital for Horses
Rood & Riddle is sometimes called the "Mayo Clinic for horses." This means it's a very advanced hospital for horses. They treat about 10,000 horses each year. Many of these cases involve surgery. Common problems they help with are colic (tummy aches) and pneumonia (lung infections).
By 2013, the hospital had grown a lot. It became a 24-acre place with 50 veterinarians and nine barns. These barns can hold up to 150 horse patients. The hospital in Lexington has special areas for surgery, foot care, and helping horses have babies. It also has units for horses with colic or newborn foals. They use advanced tools to find out what's wrong with the horses.
Rood & Riddle has also opened new locations. In 2013, they expanded to Saratoga Springs, New York. In 2016, they bought a hospital in Wellington, Florida. Wellington is a big center for horse sports like show jumping.
Famous Horse Patients
Rood & Riddle has helped many famous horses and solved big horse health puzzles.
- In 2001, Thomas Riddle helped figure out why many unborn foals were dying in Kentucky. This problem was called mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). It caused a lot of trouble for horse farms. Rood & Riddle helped discover that tiny eastern tent caterpillars were causing the problem. After this discovery, the problem almost disappeared by 2003.
Other famous horses treated at Rood & Riddle include:
- In 2008, a racehorse named Chelokee had a very bad leg injury. Dr. Bramlage fixed it with surgery.
- Kip Deville was treated for colic in 2009. Sadly, he later got another serious illness and passed away in 2010 after months of care.
- In 2013, the famous mare Rachel Alexandra had a life-threatening injury after giving birth. Dr. Brett Woodie performed a long surgery to save her.
- Wise Dan was a racehorse who often had joint problems. Dr. Bramlage helped him throughout his career. In 2014, Wise Dan had colic surgery at Rood & Riddle and was able to race again.
- In 2014, Cigar, a very famous horse, died at age 24. He had surgery for severe neck arthritis.
- In 2015, Groupie Doll had a baby colt too early. Rood & Riddle helped nurse the tiny colt back to health.
- In 2016, Zenyatta's four-day-old colt passed away after being treated for breathing problems.
Rood & Riddle is known for helping Thoroughbreds, but they also work with all kinds of horse sports. They were the official hospital for the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games. They have also worked with the annual Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington.