My job as Wellbeing's Veterinarian
I like to consider myself as an "Up-stream" thinking practitioner. Although I can help with many disease conditions, my ultimate job is to spot problems before they become clinically apparent. My purpose, along side the rest of your animals health care team, is to help your horse stay or get back to wellness. Below are my more detailed thoughts and comments on my practice. Enjoy!
Preventative Medicine Care
Treating what’s in front of you without asking why it’s happening is like patching a leaky roof in a thunderstorm — you’re just buying time until the next downpour.
Early in my career, I saw this clearly with my own dressage horse and countless patients. Laminitis, metabolic struggles, weird fertility issues — often the problem in front of me wasn’t the real problem at all. Once I started digging deeper, I found that the real story was usually hiding underneath, quietly causing the chaos.
That’s where a TCVM and functional medicine became my secret weapon. It’s not about rejecting conventional medicine — far from it. Antibiotics, radiographs, steroids, joint injections, even interesting shoeing absolutely have their place in the toolbox. But my job is to get the immune system and the body back on track, so we’re fixing the foundation of the issue at hand instead of just managing the fallout.
Here’s how I help your horses (and you):
• Shorten recovery time.
• Keep them training, competing, aging, and happy.
• Help you know whether progress is real progress.
• Find the source of the problem — and address it.
• Add targeted Chinese herbal support when it will make a difference.
• Improve overall quality of life, plain and simple.
Injury / Illness Treatments
I’ve been owned by horses my entire life, and my inner science geek still lights up every time I find a better way to solve a problem. My approach isn’t about chasing symptoms — it’s about digging for the “why” and creating a clear, customized plan that addresses the whole horse.
I combine functional medicine principles with Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM), spinal manipulation (chiropractic/osteopathy), and modern Western veterinary science to tackle complex issues. I stay current on the latest research and conventional treatments because the best care often comes from a blend of traditional and innovative tools.
When I look at your horse, I consider everything:
• Nutrition and metabolic health
• Training routines and biomechanics
• Hoof balance and musculoskeletal patterns
• Stress, environment, and daily management
I commonly help with:
• Lameness and complex hoof issues
• Musculoskeletal imbalances and compensation patterns
• Endocrine and metabolic disorders (like EMS and PPID)
• Skin and immune-mediated conditions
• Fertility concerns and performance plateaus
• Rehabilitation and recovery for athletes
I don’t replace your primary veterinarian or farrier — I collaborate with them. It takes a team, clear communication, and a broad toolbox to keep horses healthy, comfortable, and performing at their best.
Equine Athlete Medicine
Why wait until your performance horse is sore, tense, or showing signs of overtraining? Subtle changes in movement, attitude, or performance are often the first clues that something is brewing — and that’s where I come in.
My evaluations blend my Western veterinary training, my firsthand experience as a sport-horse competitor and breeder, and the unique and powerful insights of a TCVM equine scan. This combination allows me to see the full picture — from biomechanics and musculoskeletal balance (including natural sidedness patterns) to subtle energetic imbalances — and pinpoint what’s holding your horse back before it becomes a bigger issue.
When deeper imaging or advanced diagnostics are needed — like radiographs, ultrasound, scintigraphy, or MRI — I can collaborate closely with your primary veterinarian or a referral hospital. From there, we build a customized plan that integrates functional medicine, Chinese medicine, spinal manipulation, and evidence-based Western therapies to get your athlete feeling and performing their best.
Because training is such a critical part of the equation, I can also work closely with your trainer. As part of the treatment plan, we may incorporate educated dressage work — in hand or under saddle — to reinforce balance, symmetry, and correct biomechanics, ensuring that therapy and training move in the same direction.
Common performance and behavior issues I help with:
• Fussy or resistant in the bridle
• Difficulty bending one direction
• “Mystery” lameness despite clean imaging
• Mare-ish or reactive behavior
• Tripping or uneven strides
• Over-arousal or “anger management” problems
• Fatigue or slow recovery between rides
I also understand the rules and pressures of competition. That’s why I often lean on acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and integrative care — effective, safe, and compliant at FEI levels. (And yes, I trust these formulas so much I use them myself in competition.)
Competitive clients often call me their “secret weapon,” and I take that as the highest compliment. My mission is simple: to keep your athlete balanced, healthy, and performing at their peak — with a plan that works in harmony with your training program.