In the Santa Ynez Valley, one man's dream and love of horses has resulted in the Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center. It started out as a small, one-man practice back in 1972 and now it is a state of the art facility with a staff of veterinarians. Dr. Doug Herthel and his staff treat injured horses from California and around the country. Some are racehorses, some are workhorses from local cattle ranches, and some are simply for recreation. Regardless of the type of horse, Dr. Herthel's goal is to provide the best and most advanced equine technology, diagnosis, and treatment. During our visit to Alamo Pintado, Dr. Herthel performed orthopedic surgery on a horse to repair a fractured leg. We were able to see some of the latest technology in action, including a portable CT scan and a pool recovery system. Often times after a fracture repair, a horse will suffer another injury in the recovery room, which is why Dr. Herthel developed the pool recovery system. It allows the horse to slowly emerge from the anesthesia without getting hurt. Besides orthopedic surgery, Alamo Pintado deals with reproduction, ophthalmology, abdominal surgery, lameness diagnosis, and preventive medicine. The Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center is located at: 2501 Santa Barbara Ave. PO Box 249 Los Olivos, CA 93441 (805) 688-6510 If you have questions or comments about this story, please E-mail us at calheart@kvie.org.