Debbie and Brad Donaldson’s passion for animals, and especially horses, is evident from the first seconds of a conversation with them. After intensive careers as a business lawyer and entrepreneur, they could have enjoyed a peaceful retirement in Florida, where they moved six years ago. Instead, they chose to embark on a new adventure, in which their love of animals and entrepreneurial instincts came together: the opening of a horse training center, Citra Oak Farms. 

Debbie was no stranger to racing, as her older cousin Lynn Whiting made a name for himself in the thoroughbred world, notably for his victory in the 1992 Kentucky Derby with Lil E. Tee. This family connection and lifelong passion for horses led Debbie and Brad to invest in a property in Florida, where they fitted out 60 stalls with a constant concern for the horses well-being. Having never been fully immersed in the world of racing, they decided to integrate training data and thus Equimetre into their daily lives.

Released in 2019, Equimetre is the only all-in-one tool on the market to track GPS, heart rate, electrocardiograms (ECG), locomotion, and stride analysis for Equine athletes during training. Initially designed to benefit trainers and veterinarians, it is now commonly used in research fields given the solution is independently scientifically validated for the medical quality of the ECG at full speed and its ability to be used as a diagnosis tool for arrhythmia and cardiac pathologies. Equimetre is now a renowned partner for success with equine professionals who want to leverage performance, while preserving health and welfare.

Equimetre enables them to work towards improving the performance and health of their horses, values that are close to their hearts. Equimetre gives them support and reassurance in their approach as trainers.

Using Equimetre has been a turning point in their training experience. They are enthusiastic about using the technology, and look forward to sharing their experience with other trainers and owners.

“We’ve been super excited to use Equimetre, it has really helped us gain perspective on whether we’re working our horses with the right workload. Each time one of our horses train we can see the improvement, which we wouldn’t necessarily see with our own eyes. For example, with the data, we saw our filly’s stride lengthening from one work to another. It’s a good way to spot good trends, even when they’re minimal” said Debbie.

Coming from a technology background, Debbie was seeking out a solution bringing cutting edge technology to incorporate with the tried and true principles of horse training. During research before investing in Equimetre, Debbie was impressed with many top trainers using Equimetre all over the world, including Dale Romans, the trainer who had trained their now broodmare, Charmeren.

Currently, the couple have a total of seven horses, three in training, two broodmares, an adorable new born and a pony horse. One of their OBS yearling purchases is now a 3 year-old filly getting ready to start racing next month, closely monitored by an Equimetre monitor to make the best debut possible. The couple starts training at Citra Oaks Farm, where many trainers board and train their horses before shipping to Tampa Bay Downs, Gulfstream or other racetracks for more intensive training sessions and races. Citra Oaks Farm offers training services at their farm, showcasing their excellent facilities, including an irrigated, daily-maintained 5/8 dirt track and a ½ mile turf track open 7 days a week.

Thanks to their training gates and occasional visits of racetrack officials, they are also able to issue gate cards. Their customer service approach and commitment to horse welfare make them a preferred choice.

Brad and Debbie don’t just run a farm, they share a passion and are committed to making their farm a place where every horse can grow. Their history, dedication and innovative use of technology make them promising players in the world of racehorse training.

The couple offer appointments for Equimetre use if you’d like to bring your horse and see what Equimetre is all about. If you would like to get in touch with them to visit their stables, board and train your horses here is their contact information:

● Mail: debbie@citraoaks.com
● Address: 13800 NE Jacksonville Road, Citra, FL, United States, Florida 32113
● Phone number: (352) 414-5585
● Social networks:
● Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-donaldson-2617aa50/
● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Citra-Oaks-Farm-100085881969744/
● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citraoaksfarm/

Key words: Equimetre, Arioneo, Citra Oaks Farm, horses, training, track, race