 About Me :
I am a 1985 graduate of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. My veterinary practice background is broad, ranging from farm practice, breeding farms, dairy & feedlot, to small animal medicine and surgery. I was a veterinary hospital owner for 14 years.
For many years, I was a traditional Western medicine/surgery practitioner and never gave much credence to “alternative” therapies like chiropractic and acupuncture. My beliefs changed with personal experience. After years of back pain from a combination of injuries and scoliosis, my condition became so severe that I could not function in everyday activities. My physician offered acupuncture. At first, I attributed my improvement to the placebo effect but after lasting, remarkable changes in my chronic condition, I couldn’t help but acknowledge that something as strange as acupuncture could really work. I began to wonder if there were similar ways to help my patients that were not responding to medications and yet for whom surgery was not appropriate.
I began my training in 2001 with certification in Veterinary Manipulative Therapy ("chiropractics") at the Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine, followed later by the CSU Veterinary Acupuncture training. These programs offered a science-based approach with extensive neurology and anatomy study. Since that time, I have completed other courses in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Postural Rehabilitation® , physical therapy and behavior/training.
When it comes to pain and musculo-skeletal problems, I tend to think in neuro-anatomical terms. However, Traditional Chinese Medicine has taught me to consider the mind or “shen” as an integral part of the patient’s condition. With this understanding I recognize the role of pain, stiffness, weakness and fear in horses that under-perform, exhibit “bad” behaviors or resist training. I take special interest in the way therapy for physical issues can impact and improve the horse’s personality and interactions with humans.
 My Horse History
I have been privileged to work and enjoy many aspects of the horse world both personally and as a professional. My work has included large farms with all aspects of breeding, foal & mare care; show horses from many breeds & many disciplines – dressage, hunter/jumpers, reining, combined training, driving, field hunting, endurance; and horse camping & countless miles of trail riding.
My personal horse experience started late; my parents believed I would outgrow wanting a horse! I leased my first horse in college, a Morgan mare. Since that time I have fox hunted extensively, gathered cattle, and competed in combined training & dressage. Currently I am learning Western horsemanship based on Great Basin traditions, ala the Dorrances & Buck Brannaman. I draw on these experiences in addition to my academic knowledge for insight about the needs of my patients and creative ways to help them. I continue to learn from the horses and horsemen/women I encounter each day.
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