After years of happy trail riding, a Virginia paint horse grew lame from pastern arthritis in his lower left front leg — until owner Aimee Swenson turned to the New Bolton Center in Kennett Square.

“I felt the most comfortable with how (Assistant Professor of Large Animal Surgery Dr. Kyla) Ortved answered my questions, and I also knew that New Bolton Center has a fabulous reputation. I decided it was worth the trip,” Swenson said in a PennVet feature by Carla Nieser.

Neither she nor her horse, Netty, were disappointed.

“The facility was immaculate, and the staff was very helpful in getting him settled in,” said Swenson. “I just felt a lot of confidence in everyone, really.”

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Netty improved quickly after the surgery and only needed to stay at New Bolton Center for two weeks. Within a month, he was off major painkillers, and he returned to pasture after six months.

“My reason for doing this surgery was to do what was fair for him,” Swenson said. “With his pain level at the time, my only other option would have been to put him down. That just didn’t feel like the right decision. Now he can hopefully live 10 more years comfortably and doing what he wants.

“The surgery saved his life. I do believe that.”

Read more about the life-saving surgery from PennVet here, and check out previous VISTA Today coverage of the New Bolton Center here.

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