The extraordinary efforts of globe-trotting surgeons, dedicated Louisiana State University (LSU) veterinarians and technicians, and a determined team of horse owners recently combined to preserve the sight of one 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare through a procedure known as a vitrectomy. The surgery is rarely performed and was unprecedented at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. The momentum of the team wouldn’t end with a single horse, however.

Through the generosity of owners Julie Calzone and Bob Gardes, both of Lafayette, La., the field of equine ophthalmology will see a difference at LSU for years to come. Following on the heels of an international team effort to help one horse, a new fund has been established within the LSU Foundation to bring focus to the wonders and intricacies of the care of the equine eye. The Lexi Fund, named for Julie and Bob’s mare “Lexius,” has been implemented to dedicate financial resources toward clinical service, scientific investigation and educational endeavors in the field of equine ophthalmology