University of Minnesota – Leatherdale Equine Center

GH2 designed this new 58,000-square-foot facility on the University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus. It includes facilities for two graduate student units: Equine Research (lameness research) and Recumbent Surgery, as well as a breeding collection area and research lab.

The Equine Research zone includes 26 stalls, tack room, office, tack-up areas, wash areas, farrier area, a general exam and treatment room with stocks, a high-speed treadmill room, an indoor arena, and a breeding lab and collection room. The 80’x140′ arena features a 140′-long lameness exam runway with rubber brick flooring and Kistler forceplate, chairback seating for 100, a classroom seating 100 overlooking the arena floor, and public restrooms.

The Recumbent Surgery Center includes 8 climate-controlled stalls, 2 exam/treatment rooms with stocks, 2 open exam rooms, digital radiology suite, pharmacy, a complete surgical suite with 2 anesthesia and 2 recovery stalls and additional support spaces, administration offices, locker rooms, and graduate student offices. An electric overhead hoist and trolley system allows anesthetized horses to be easily moved among the anesthesia, recovery and surgical areas.

The two zones share a centrally-located service and bulk storage area, including hay, feed, bedding, covered manure storage, emergency generator, mechanical services, and medical gas systems. The facility utilizes cutting-edge materials and equipment, such as cold-poured seamless rubber flooring, in-floor radiant heating, open-view stall fronts, submerged rehabilitation treadmill, and the Swedish-made Sato I high-speed treadmill. GH2 was engaged in 2011 to design an expansion to this facility.