The Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at OSU is not only training the veterinarians of tomorrow but also giving animals a fighting chance when faced with devastating diseases and injuries that threaten their survival.

One of these animals is Adam, a paint colt who was born grossly underweight with many health problems. Weighing in at 40 pounds, he was less than half the size of normal foals at birth. He was unable to stand because tendons in his front legs were tight and contracted while tendons in his hind legs weren’t tight enough. Adam could not nurse so he was bottle fed until colic prompted a visit to OSU’s teaching hospital.

There he was given round-the-clock medical attention that was necessary for his survival, receiving successful treatments that allowed him to stand on his own and walk without splints. Adam is continually improving, gaining weight, running, playing and standing strong.

Without the help of OSU’s Neonatal Foal Unit, Adam may not be walking today. His story illustrates the intrepid spirit OSU students and faculty demonstrate daily to advance the university’s mission of education, service and outreach.

Today the teaching hospital is the one in need of a helping hand. Though the hospital has numerous success stories like Adam’s, it needs a facility upgrade to provide appropriate medical and nursing care to critically ill horses. In March, the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation stepped in to help, providing one-third of the facility funding needed.

The Gaylord Foundation provided a $1 million gift to launch the Equine Critical Care Unit at OSU’s teaching hospital. This facility will significantly improve survival rates of critically ill horses and will enable veterinary staff to focus on top-quality care in an isolated, centralized facility.

“The new Equine Critical Care facility will allow us to thoroughly educate and train veterinary students in equine care using the most advanced procedures,” said Dr. Michael Lorenz, professor and dean of the OSU Center for Veterinary Health Sciences.

While the Gaylord Foundation has supported many cultural, educational and charitable organizations since it was created in 1994, this is its first gift to OSU.

“We have long recognized the excellence of OSU’s Veterinary Health Sciences Center,” said Christy Gaylord Everest, Gaylord Foundation trustee. “The equine area is of particular interest to us because of our family’s love of horses and longtime involvement with the horse industry.”

Currently horses and foals in need of critical care are placed in various locations within OSU’s equine barn. The Equine Critical Care Unit will provide a centralized facility needed to care for these animals.

The unit will consist of 4,600 square feet of new and renovated space dedicated solely to the critical care needs of equine patients. This space includes 12 critical care stalls, a fully enclosed climate-controlled unit with video monitoring systems, and the latest state-of-the-art critical and intensive-care equipment. 

“The Gaylord Foundation’s $1 million gift will launch a campaign to fund the $3 million project, which will help advance the health of horses well into the future and have a positive impact on Oklahoma’s horse industry,” said Lorenz.

OSU is thriving in these economic times because of courageous supporters like the Gaylord Foundation who recognize a need and step forward to fulfill it. Their heroic generosity is making a difference at OSU and enabling the university to advance its mission – one equine patient at a time.