Horse Illustrated Magazine

Now through June 30, Horse Illustrated magazine and horseillustrated.com are giving away two pairs of tickets to the Destination Equus California Farm & Wine Tasting Tour, Sept. 7-9, in California’s beautiful Santa Ynez Valley. The tour offers a chance to go behind the scenes at world-class equestrian facilities. Tour stops include a visit to Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center, founded by Dr. Doug Herthel.

Although he is referred to as somewhat of a mad scientist by family and friends, the accomplishments of equine veterinarian Doug Herthel could be considered more along the path of modern genius.

Herthel got his start with the help of his wife Sue in 1972 by developing a small mobile practice on California’s central coast. Now, the Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center has expanded to more than 100 acres and hosts a prestigious internship program, employs more than 50 staff members and holds a reputation for advancing equine care both medically and nutritionally.

Among his notable developments, Herthel created a procedure for tendon and ligament healing that uses the horse’s own stem cells. Other accomplishments include the installation and use of nuclear scintigraphy, design and implementation of a water recovery pool to facilitate healing from orthopedic surgery, use of computer aided tomography (CAT) that can reach as high as a warmblood’s stifle and development of the first hyperbaric oxygen chamber for horses.

Alamo Pintado treats more than 3,500 horses a year, with clientele that range from family pets to show horses.

For more information about the facility, visit www.alamopintado.com.