40 • THE PLAID HORSE
MEHOT: A Unique Hyperbaric
Oxygen Therapy Provider
BY KELLY SHEEHAN • Pulled up beside the veterinary building at HITS Desert Horse Park for the winter circuit in Thermal, Calif., sat what looked like an unassuming horse trailer. However, upon further investigation, that trailer happened to be an air pressurized equine treatment center, called MEHOT. “Mobile Equine Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (MEHOT) is the country’s premier provider of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for horses,” explains Emily Triesch, MEHOT’s program director. “HBOT delivers a high concentration of oxygen to your horse in a pressurized environment that offers distinct therapeutic benefits and promotes rapid healing and recovery.” Treatments vary depending on the needs of the horse and the condition being treated; however, results are reported to be highly positive. For example, more than $20,000 of the HITS Desert Circuit VI $50,000 HorseWare Ireland Grand Prix prize money went to horses treated by MEHOT, including the winner, Zuidhoeve, ridden by Kasey Ament. “I decided to do the hyperbaric oxygen therapy for my horses to increase performance and