Exclusively Equine - Texas Edition

11/01/2026

Your horse did not get the memo and firmly believes you're an hour late with breakfast.

10/31/2026

I love my job.

After nearly 30 years of being an equine veterinarian, even after an exhausting 10-hour Saturday that started with emergencies at 7 a.m., I still find myself feeling incredibly grateful for this life.

There is something magical about driving down a quiet country road before sunrise, watching the world wake up around you. The rolling pastures, the horses in the distance, the morning light breaking over the fields. It never gets old.

Today reminded me why.

Early in the morning, I helped an elderly horse cross the bridge with dignity, comfort, and peace. It is never an easy part of the job, but it is one of the greatest privileges. To be trusted with those final moments is something I never take for granted.

The rest of the day was spent helping horses at the beginning of their journeys, stitching wounds, preserving futures, and piecing back together the hopes and dreams invested in the next generation. In just a few hours, I witnessed both the ending of one story and the beginning of many others. Few professions allow you to see life come full circle quite the way this one does.

And then, on the way to my second emergency call, I came upon a parade of more than 50 horses traveling down FM 916. I couldn't help but smile. Seeing those beautiful horses and a community gathered to celebrate them felt like a reminder from the universe of why we do what we do.

This profession can be physically demanding. It can be emotionally draining. Some days it asks everything you have to give. But it also gives so much in return.

It teaches you to find beauty in unexpected places, to appreciate every stage of life, and to never take a sunrise, a healthy horse, or a grateful owner for granted.

Tonight I'm tired, my feet hurt, and I'll probably sleep soundly. But my heart is full.

What a gift it has been to spend my life caring for horses and the people who love them. I wouldn't trade it for anything. ❤️

10/31/2026

10/24/2026

Horses come in every color under the sun—but never all on one horse. Until now. Look at this masterpiece. Reign is pulling double duty as both a living art canvas for elementary school kids and a glowing mama-to-be. Owned and loved by D’lynn Hadley, she’s carrying color in more ways than one.

10/23/2026

Emma is officially five months along now, and she’s embracing her maternity glow with gusto. We’ll keep her on the standard Pneumabort‑K schedule at 5, 7, and 9 months to protect that pregnancy, paired with transabdominal ultrasounds so we can monitor placental health and fetal development as she progresses.

This year we get the bonus of accurate weight tracking thanks to the new scale, which will make her nutritional management even tighter. And, in true Emma fashion, she requested a three‑quarters glamour shot to show off her increasingly generous waistline — maternity curves and all.

10/06/2026

Katie and Shark has moved into the Kentucky Horse Park and ready to ride on Wednesday and Thursday in The Retired Racehorse Project. Good luck. We are all rooting for you.

10/03/2026

Look AAEP agrees with my most recent post!

10/03/2026

This summer’s extreme heat and drought were hard on our pastures—and even harder on our horses. Three problems dominated our call list: founder, malnutrition, and equine allergies. Today, we’re focusing on why so many horses, ponies, and donkeys were foundering even when the pastures looked dead and “had no grass.”
Horses, ponies, and donkeys with PPID and/or insulin dysregulation are at significantly higher risk of laminitis when non structural carbohydrates (NSC) and sugars rise in pasture plants. Even when the pasture appears brown, sparse, or dormant, stressed forage can carry dangerously high sugar levels.
Grass spikes in sugar during three key situations:
1. Rapid spring growth – when grass is producing energy faster than it can use it.
2. Drought stress – when grass is crispy, dry, and struggling; plants store sugar because they cannot grow.
3. After dormancy followed by rain – when grass “wakes up” suddenly and floods itself with sugars to restart growth.
This means that “no grass” does not equal “no sugar.” Drought stressed pastures can be some of the highest risk environments for horses with PPID or insulin dysregulation, and this summer’s conditions created the perfect storm for laminitis across our region.
Laminitis/founder can show up in several keyways.

Common signs of founder include increased digital pulses, rocking back to relieve pressure, pumping or shifting legs, lying down more than usual, reluctance to move forward, and walking on the heel instead of the toe. Any of these behaviors indicate significant hoof pain.

If you notice these signs, call your veterinarian immediately.
Your vet will perform a full physical exam and evaluate your horse’s diet, pasture access, and overall husbandry. A baseline CBC/chemistry panel, endocrine testing, and radiographs help determine the degree of inflammation and any rotation or sinking of the coffin bone.

Once your veterinary team has a complete picture, they can establish an appropriate treatment plan and management protocol.

Horses with PPID and/or insulin dysregulation require lifelong management.
A coordinated team—owner, veterinarian, and farrier working together—is essential for keeping these horses comfortable and preventing future laminitic episodes.

09/06/2026

Shamrock says obviously the camera adds 10 pounds. He weighs 521 pounds.