Equine medicine in Belgium: absolutely world class
The medical treatment and care of horses already enjoyed a solid reputation far beyond our national borders. Now that the two best equestrian clinics in Belgium, Equitom in Lummen and Dierenkliniek De Bosdreef in Moerbeke, have merged, their knowledge and expertise will be combined. This opens the door to a real paradise for our sick or injured equine friends.
At the international level, our horses and riders are among the best. Just like our equestrian centres, where even the children of global stars such as Bill Gates and Bruce Springsteen train. The merger of Equitom and De Bosdreef will take the quality of equine medicine to unprecedented levels. Both clinics are in complete agreement on this point. The best in their field will now pool their knowledge and expertise: diagnosticians, orthopaedists, surgeons and specialists in complex equine treatments and medical imaging. Specialisation is the trump card these days. But of course, this comes at a cost. Fortunately, an investment fund is helping to meet the high strategic and financial expectations.
In addition to the purely medical benefits, this merger also offers technological advantages. The two robotic arms used in Lummen to perform CT scans of horses can also be used for patients at Moerbeke. These CT scans are performed in under 30 seconds, while the horse remains upright under sedation and does not need to be put to sleep, thus reducing the risk of it breaking a leg. In fact, there are only four of these robots in the world.