Where Greatness Is Rebuilt
A few of the cases that built RestorEquine
Watching Healing Unfold
Severe laceration extending from the hock to the mid-cannon was consistently treated with a structured rehabilitation protocol incorporating Electro-Acuscope and Myopulse sessions. Within only one month, he was competing again at the top of the leaderboard.
“๐โ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ผ ๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐ฆ โ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ผ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐. ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ก.”
Miracles do happen.
Following exploratory colic surgery, this mare developed a serious postoperative complication. After several days without improvement, her owner was preparing for the possibility that she might not come home.What followed became one of the most unforgettable cases I have had the privilege of being part of.
On March 20, this mare was rushed in for emergency exploratory colic surgery, where she then began experiencing postoperative reflux (POR), a serious potentially fatal condition due to the stomach building an accumulation of gastric fluid. This could be a result of bowel distension, the surgery itself, inflammation in the abdomen, necrotic tissue, etc. The fluid backs up because the small intestine is not moving properly. Horses cannot vomit, so this is an extremely serious situation. Because horses can’t vomit, the stomach continues to distend until that fluid is removed through medical intervention.
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For three consecutive days, her veterinary team managed persistent reflux, removing approximately 2–3+ liters of gastric fluid every few hours through her nasogastric tube. Despite intensive medical management, the reflux continued. By Thursday morning, her surgical team was considering the next step. If meaningful improvement was not seen by Thursday night or Friday morning, a second surgery was a serious possibility.
I was called in Thursday morning where we began making a game plan. The surgeons made it clear if no improvement was made by Thursday night or Friday morning, she needed to go back into surgery. So, we made a plan.
Gut-Brain Axis: The Nervous System's Role
The gastrointestinal tract is heavily regulated by the autonomic nervous system. When a horse undergoes major surgery, the body endures an enormous amount of stress and trauma. Pain, anesthesia, inflammation, and stress all stimulate the sympathetic nervous system… And in colic surgery, the body experiences all of this.
When sympathetic tone ultimately becomes more dominant, blood flow to the intestines decreases. The motility (movement) of the GI tract slows down. And there is an excess of inflammation. Pretty much the body prioritizes survival over digestion. But really, can you blame the body?
The parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) stimulates healthy intestinal motility. The PNS is also regulated through the vagus nerve which plays a huge role in intestinal motility, digestive secretions, peristalsis (contraction/relaxation of GI tract), and the blood flow to the gut. All of which works closely with the enteric nervous system. The ENS is the intrinsic nervous system of the gut, also referred to as the body’s “second brain”.
This communication pathway is known as the ๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐.
If the brain is perceiving stress and pain, the gut shuts down.The body works as an interconnected system. When you figure out how the systems are working together (or against each other), the game changes. Once you begin to understand how these systems influence one another, the entire approach to healing changes.
The goal was if we can calm the nervous system, influence vagal tone, decrease pain signaling and inflammatory stress, we can assist the communication between the nervous system and gastrointestinal tract… and hopefully decrease the reflux.
However, if there was a blockage or necrotic tissue that was triggering the POR, going back into surgery again will become mandatory.
No therapy could replace that.
So that was the focus.
Address the nervous system.
Decrease inflammation.
Help the body shift to a parasympathetic state.
By targeting the nervous system, we focused on restoring communication to the gut-brain axis, ultimately support the body’s ability to regulate motility.
And then something incredible happened.
By Thursday afternoon her reflux volume decreased by 50%.
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With the unbelievable improvement, her owner and surgical team made the decision to keep trying what we were doing. So, I continued working on her, really working on addressing pain management, the nervous system, and inflammation.
She continued to only build about 1L of fluid.
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Then, by Friday, for the first time in over 5 days…
She had NO REFLUX and her team was able to pull her NG tube. Something that had not seemed possible just a few days earlier.
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They slowly began reintroducing food and water, monitoring her closely.
Over the weekend she continued to increased feed and water intake, with no reflux. We continued to keep her on a consistent acuscope schedule… Again, focusing heavily on the regulation of the nervous system. Less than two weeks after her surgery and after facing huge complications, she was discharged to go home.
Her recovery involved an entire team. Every person on that team played a role in helping this mare.
Important Disclaimer:
RestorEquine Fitness & Therapy does not diagnose or treat internal medical conditions. The Electro-Acuscope & Myopulse systems were utilized in this case as a complementary modality alongside intensive veterinary and surgical management. Every horse and medical case is different, and results cannot be guaranteed.
3-Inch Suspensory Ligament Lesion
This horse was originalluy diagnosed with a 3-inch lesion of the suspensory ligament, starting at the proximal suspensory. Within 3 months, she has been released to come out of retirement.
Original Prognosis: Broodmare Sound
This mare was originally diagnosed with a 3-inch lesion of her front left suspensory ligament, beginning at the proximal suspensory. Her front right was previously diagnosed with severe desmitis. She was diagnosed with anemia as a 3-year-old, which typically contributes to slower healing.
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No regenerative medicine was used. Following her diagnosis, she came in for a full in-house rehabilitation program.
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Rather than following a one-size-fits-all protocol, her program was continuously adapted to the horse standing in front of me.
Weekly veterinary progress evaluations allowed me to closely monitor changes throughout her rehabilitation and make specific, timely adjustments to her program based on how she was progressing.
Her individualized program incorporated targeted therapeutic interventions, progressive rehabilitation, customized nutritional support, and collaboration with the professionals involved in her care.
93% Reduction In 9 Weeks
Within 9 weeks of rehabilitation, the original lesion had decreased in size by approximately 93%.
Within less than 3 months, she was released to come out of retirement.
A Few More Cases
