Iron Horse Veterinary Services

06/03/2026

IVS Family!!!

As you guys are aware, Dr. Hatcher is... rough on equipment.

In order to keep our dental tools--and your dentals--as exceptional as possible, we send our equipment out for servicing over the worst parts of the summer (i.e. during the major heat waves). This year, we will be sending them out in July and will be refraining from scheduling any dentals for the months of July, August and the beginning of September.

This means that if you NEED A DENTAL, we need you to get with us to get on books! We have a few select openings available for June, and Dr. Hatcher will squish days in order to meet everyone's needs... But help us help you (and your ponies) by getting with us here soon!!

To schedule an appointment, please text the office line at (850) 790-0135, or send us an email at [email protected]

05/26/2026

Iron Horse Family!!

Pause your panic if you've logged into GlobalVetLink (GVL) looking for your EIAs... At this time, it appears that GVL is attempting to update their server and migrate information to a new platform.

If you're traveling currently, please shoot us a text message so we can get you PDFs immediately while on road. If you're needing to travel/planning travel in the next few days, give it 24 hours to update. If you haven't been able to access certificates in that time, please notify us so that we can provide you copies of your certificates!!

04/23/2026

Iron Horse Family (and wider community)!!

It has come to our attention lately that our call volume has increased for emergencies. As always, we must remind you guys that non-client emergencies are subject to availability. While it seems arbitrary, we highly recommend the development of an emergency plan. Having a trailer/trailering plan is non-negotiable in our region these days.

As always, we want to be able to see you all. However, we are a single team of three people--with ONE doctor. We are doing everything within our power to make it to you guys, and to get you guys on schedule.

For our clients, please note that we are beginning to implore legitimate triaging protocols so that the most critical cases can be seen first. Unfortunately, that may mean that your case is seen second, third, or even fourth that day in terms of ER-basis.

We are working overtime to try and bear this burden. We are putting in additional hours on the backside to try and come up with more sustainable future plans for this region. We know there is a need, and we are determined to find the answer.

If you have concerns regarding your status as a client, please see the website to verify VCPR (valid client-patient relationship) requirements for our practice. While this seems silly, ensuring a proper working relationship between us and you/your animals decreases the response time when it matters most. Having good, working relationships truly matters when your horse is colicking, or has a major laceration.

We appreciate your patience and understanding, and are always happy to answer any questions you guys might have regarding VCPRs, or how to set one up.

We love you all dearly, and we will see you out there.
-Dr. Hatcher (formerly Dr. Miller 😉)

03/26/2026

Some of our favorite clients grabbed a few snippets of our day on Tuesday!! It’s always a pleasure to work with such excellent clients.

01/23/2026

Iron Horse!!

February books are NEARLY FULL… again 🥲. If you have primary care or maintenance concerns to get handled, PLEASE let us know soon!! Our availability is tight, but we are still striving to get everyone seen.

Peep Dr. Miller (okay, actually Dr. Hatcher) all smiles today during some routine work.

We’ll see y’all out there.

01/11/2026

Did you know??

IVS acquired an in-house analyzer last year to test ACTH and Insulin for our PPID, EMS and Insulin Dysregulation horses!

If you've ever had one of these metabolic horses, you've probably had to wait for test results and seen just how expensive it can be. The TruForma (produced by ZoMedica) is attempting to break this barrier and provide private practitioners with the opportunity to test these cases in house.

By testing in house, we vastly speed up our clinical decision-making process, get you answers more quickly, and reduce overall costs while increasing efficiency!

Comment below if you guys want us to do a mini-series on metabolic diseases, and which disease you'd like to hear about!

01/07/2026

Pretty sure we have the best job in the world, and Blanche agrees.

12/29/2025

Head's Up IVS Family!!!

We are NEARLY FULL for our January schedule... And it is December 29th 🫣

If you *know* that your herd needs booster vaccines or routine appointments, PLEASE shoot us a text or an email so we can get you on schedule while availability still exists.

For our urgent care appointments, we are going to do our best to continue to make things happen as quickly as possible. For emergencies, we will always see you out there... It just might be late.

Y'all pray for us, we are going to need it.

12/06/2025

IVS Family!!

Our office will be closed from December 6th through December 10th. We will return to full functions on December 11th!

We will try to answer any routine questions during the week, and will handle scheduling request as we can manage. For all emergencies, please refer all cases to the following hospitals:

✨University of Florida Large Animal Hospital: (352) 392-2229
✨Auburn University, JT Vaughn Large Animal Hospital: (334) 844-4490

11/19/2025

Iron Horse Family!!

By now, you’ve seen the posts regarding the EHV outbreak in multiple states, largely stemming from a barrel horse event.

We don’t condone or pander fear with a public health epidemic, but we absolutely want to express the gravity of this situation. EHV outbreaks, and those leading to the development of EHM, are deadly and disastrous.

We know big events are happening soon, and many are preparing for them… If you have concerns about possible transmission: STAY HOME. If your horse has potentially encountered other horses, please thoroughly cross reference locations and status, and quarantine your horses immediately. Prevention of spread with this disease is critical—and challenging.

We are with you every step of the way, and are committed to helping you navigate these waters as the anxiety rises and hauling dates get closer. Do not hesitate to contact us asking for advice or to make plans moving forward.

What is Equine Herpesvirus (EHV)?

You've probably heard it called Rhinopneumonitis, a respiratory tract disease that results in "snotty noses," but EHV is more than that. Depending on the strain, this virus can also cause abortion in broodmares, and equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) — the often-deadly neurologic form of the disease.

Because EHV is endemic in many equine populations, most mature horses have developed some immunity through repeated natural infection. However, they remain a source of infection for other susceptible horses, like weaned foals and yearlings, who usually display symptoms of the respiratory form of the disease in autumn and winter. Performance and show horses are also more vulnerable to the disease, as they commingle with unfamiliar equines in close quarters while under stress from travel and competition.

Proper biosecurity protocols can help reduce EHV outbreaks and other disease transmission. A variety of vaccines are also available for protection against both the respiratory and abortive form of the disease, but there is no equine licensed vaccine at this time that has a label claim for protection against the neurologic form (EHM).

Consult your primary equine veterinarian to learn more about this disease and work with them to determine the optimal vaccine protocol for your horses.

You can learn more about all three forms on the Equine Disease Communication Center's website here: https://equinediseasecc.org/infectious-diseases