Committed to equine rehab Nirvana Equine uses unique therapies to treat equine athletes

Wyarno – “Nirvana Equine began with a vision, prayers and a leap of faith,” says Tracie Pollard. 

The facility offers a unique array of therapeutic options for horses, dogs and people including hydrotherapy, pulse electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) and more. 

“Our family has always been involved with horses and rodeo,” says Pollard. “It seemed like every time we would take a horse to a veterinarian with an injury, they would recommend some form of rehab through water therapy.”

“Because there were no rehabilitation facilities in the area, we would resort to driving our horses south for aquatic therapy, rehabilitation and training,” she explains. “After educating ourselves through collaboration with vets, equine nutritionists, trainers and mentors who had hydrotherapy facilities, we took a leap of faith and began building our own equine rehabilitation facility.”

Pollard says they hoped to bless others and offer their services to the equine community by being the only place in northwest Wyoming that offers hydrotherapy and PEMF treatments.

At the facility

At Nirvana Equine, the Pollards utilize an in-ground aqua tread to provide hydrotherapy. 

“Our entire facility is heated, and we have 15 Priefert indoors stalls, with 10 covered turnouts,” she says.

The facility also has a feed room, indoor and outdoor lighted arenas and an office. 

“We also have an arena where various people host clinics and others comes to ride,” Pollard says. “Our PEMF treatments are administered in our facility, but we also travel weekly to treat various pets, horses, and people.” 

“PEMF is a therapy that utilizes magnetic fields to recharge and regenerate cells,” she comments. “It rejuvenates, repairs and recovers cells to improve cellular function and health at the molecular level, enhancing the body’s ability to heal itself, relieving pain, increasing circulation and oxygen and reducing inflammation.” 

The magnetic fields penetrate 16 inches into the tissue to heal cells. 

“We’re certified PEMF practitioners, and we’ve used the therapy on everything from humans and horses to hedgehogs and everything in between,” Pollard comments. “We learn something new every day, and we see positive results from PEMF. It expedites healing and enhances performance and overall well-being.” 

PEMF has been medically studied at Harvard and the Mayo Clinic.

Pollard says, “This therapy is widely used across the country.”

Nirvana Equine is also a dealer of Black Widow Arena Drags and a distributor of Zesterra and Odor No More, both of which can be an asset for horse owners. 

Hydrotherapy

Nirvana’s aqua tread, which was the foundation and the start of their vision, provides benefits through relief of stress on a horse’s joints during rehabilitation.

  “Our aqua tread features can be controlled to suit individual athlete’s needs. For example, we can control the speed of the treadmill and the height and temperature of the water and how the massage jets project,” Pollard explains. “Fifteen minutes in the aqua tread is equivalent to an hour of loping in the arena. Exercising through hydrotherapy, lengthens a horse’s stride, increases muscle mass and lung capacity, builds endurance and improves a horse’s overall mental state.”

Pollard continues, “The horses really look forward to their workouts, and each therapy session is specific and based on the owner’s short- and long-term goals and the horse’s needs.”

Nirvana Equine works closely with horse owners, as well as with veterinarians, to design rehab and conditioning programs. 

“We make sure to communicate our program and the athlete’s progress with owners and the team to ensure the best therapy and condition for the horse,” she comments.

Moving forward

Pollard says the practice continues to evolve, and they seek to maintain and maximize optimal performance for both people and horses. 

“Since we’ve been open, we’ve also maintained a multi-faceted vision,” she says. “We work with adults and youth with disabilities through equine therapy.”

The program teaches life skills, communication and social skills to help disabled individuals maintain a more independent quality of life. 

“We partner with Life Steps, an organization in town that assists young adults in learning a trade and life skills. On an average day, we have the opportunity to work with six to eight individuals. We truly feel blessed to have them as a part of our team,” she adds. 

Nirvana Equine is operated by Chuck Pollard, his wife Tracie and their daughter Saije. 

A major asset to the Nirvana team is veterinary technician, Alexis Von Gontard.

“Alexis is instrumental in the daily operations of Nirvana Equine. We are so thankful to have her,” says Pollard. “Alexis’s experience as a vet tech and her passion for animals and people fits perfectly into our vision.” 

Another major contributor to the Nirvana team is Rodney Jesperson, Chuck’s nephew.  Rodney keeps everyone smiling and is referred to as “Rockin Rod” because he is great help and is always supportive of the next adventure. 

Journey of Three

“We started Nirvana Equine as what we called the ‘Journey of Three,’” Pollard explains. “That phrase incorporates the true meaning of Nirvana and includes the three of us in our family.”

Nirvana Equine has been a fun journey for the Pollard family. “This has been a rewarding and humbling experience – and a true blessing,” explains Pollard. “In the near future, we hope to expand our rehabilitation options as well as extend our youth equine therapy collaboration.” 

“We love working with both humans and horses,” Pollard says. “The rewards of this endeavor have been a blessing and would not have been possible without the amazing support of our family and friends.” 

Visit nirvanaequine.com for more information. Nirvana Equine also has a Facebook page, Nirvana Equine, LLC.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to saige@wylr.net.