Rood & Riddle Report 2022

Dr. Peter Morresey

News from Your Equine Health Care Provider | Vol. 12| Fall 2022

Delve into the stories of the Rood & Riddle veterinarians who have dedicated their lives to providing exceptional equine healthcare. Rood & Riddle has released their latest book, In Pursuit of Excellence: The Stories of Rood & Riddle Veterinarians, written by Chelsea Hackbarth. Chelsea is the News Editor at the Paulick Report, which allows her to combine her love of horses with her love of storytelling, helping to bring the racing world to life for both the casual observer and hardcore fan. Chelsea recounts the varied stories of the veterinarians who founded Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, one of the largest equine veterinary practices in the world. After reading it, you will be struck by their disparate backgrounds, but they all share common traits: dedication, hard work, intelligence, and humility.

These veterinarians want to make a difference in the lives of their patients, their clients, and their fellow workers. Readers will realize that these veterinarians are people much like themselves.

Dr. Tom Riddle Retires, Endowment Established in His Honor

Over 600 friends, family, and colleagues came to honor Dr. Tom Riddle’s career and celebrate his upcoming retirement with him. A surprise announcement was made during the event – the establishment of the Dr. Tom Riddle Endowment for the Horse through the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners - The Foundation for the Horse. Numerous supporters gave toward this effort, led by Dr. Riddle’s friends Jeannie Jeffery and Pend Armistead, along with his son Alex Riddle, to surpass giving and pledges of over $100,000 and growing.

Dr. Stephen Reed Inducted into the Equine Research Hall of Fame

The University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center announced the 2022 inductees to the Equine Research Hall of Fame. This prestigious award is an international forum to honor outstanding achievements in equine research and those who have made a lasting tribute benefitting equine health. To celebrate this legacy, the UK Gluck Equine Research Foundation inducted four scientists into the UK Equine Research Hall of Fame October.

Reed’s nominators credited him as “the last word in equine neurology.” Reed is widely recognized as one of the most prominent equine neurologists worldwide. His list of 180 peer-reviewed publications includes significant contributions to equine medicine, neurology, physiology and pathophysiology, and has earned him worldwide recognition throughout the equine community. He has shared in his achievements as a mentor and role-model for hundreds of aspiring equine practitioners.

“One of the most unique and refreshing things about Dr. Reed is he absolutely embodies the need and overlap of discovery science with clinical assessments to further our understanding of equine neurologic disease,” wrote Jennifer Janes, associate professor of veterinary pathology at the UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, in her letter of support for the nomination. “This mission has served as the foundation and pillars of his long career in equine veterinary medicine.”

2022 Rood & Riddle Dowager

Pocket Aces Racing and Somewhere Stable Kentucky’s Temple City Terror uncorked a sweeping move on the far turn that propelled her to the front at the top of the stretch en route to a three-length victory in the $294,688 Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3) for fillies and mares Sunday at Keeneland.

Trained by Brendan Walsh and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Temple City Terror covered the 1 1/2 miles on a firm turf course in a stakes record 2:27.98. The victory gave Gaffalione a sweep of the three-weekend stakes and an overall fifth stakes victory of the Fall Meet.

This year’s $300,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager(G3) marks the 20th running of the race sponsored by Rood & Riddle. Each year Rood & Riddle will give a replica of the perpetual trophy to the winner of the Dowager.

Argyle named 2021 Rood & Riddle Sport Horse of the Year

Argyle was honored as the 2021 Rood & Riddle Sport Horse of the Year at the 37th annual Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association National Awards Dinner held on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at Keeneland. This is the second Sport Horse of the Year award for Argyle, who also won it in 2017. Argyle is owned by Skyeler Voss. Since 2009 Rood & Riddle has partnered with the US Equestrian and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to sponsor these awards. These awards recognize Thoroughbreds that have excelled in second careers as performance horses in dressage, eventing, hunter, and jumper competitions throughout the year. Competitors earn points toward the Rood & Riddle Thoroughbred Sport Horse Awards at USEF-sanctioned events during the show season, and the open divisional awards go to the highest point earners. Rookie awards in each division ensure that newcomers are recognized as well.

2022 Breeders’ Cup

The veterinarians and staff of Rood & Riddle are pleased to have been the Official Equine Hospital and Veterinary Pharmacy of the Breeders’ Cup for the eigth year. We appreciate the owners and trainers who have trusted us with the veterinary care of many of the horses competing in the Breeders’ Cup, and we look forward to joining with breeders, owners, trainers and farm managers as we work as a team to keep your horses safe, healthy and athletic.

Rood & Riddle is also delighted to have once again served as Title Sponsor of the Breeders’ Cup Post-Position Draw, which will took place on Monday, October 31 at Rupp Arena. This all-important event featured Coach John Calipari drawing the post positions for the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.

2022 National Horse Show

Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital returned as the Official Veterinarians and Veterinary Pharmacy of the 2022 National Horse Show, for an unprecedented twelfth year.The much-anticipated event featured hunter, jumper, and equitation competition at the Kentucky Horse Park from October 26 - November 6.

Dr. Steve Reed

Argyle

Photo Credit: Keeneland

Dr. Tom Riddle

2022 Educational Events

International Podiatry Conference

Rood & Riddle started its educational series mid-April, beginning with the Second International Podiatry Conference.

The IPC was created to incorporate veterinarians and farriers in a collaborative environment.

This year’s speakers included Renate Weller, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary; Dr. Thilo Pfau, Professor Faculty of Kinesiology; Yogi Sharp, the Equine Documentalist; and Dr. Scott Morrison.

The focus of the conference was biomechanics and gait analysis.

AAEVT Technician Imaging Lab

Rood & Riddle hosted the American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians’ Focus on Imaging Meeting, June 17-19. Nearly 70 veterinary technicians attend the continuing education event.

The meeting held rotating labs in imaging modalities such as ultrasonography, radiology, bone scan, PET scan, and CT scan.

Additionally, there were radiology labs in sales surveys, and spine, skull, fore, and hind limb radiographs.

Equine Upper Airway Symposium

For the 19th year, Rood & Riddle surgeons Rolf Embertson and Brett Woodie, along with guest surgeons Eric Parente, Norm Ducharme, Justin Perkins, and Eileen Hackett, instructed surgical residents as well as seasoned surgeons in the intricacies of upper airway surgical techniques.

The participants spent three days in lectures and wet labs learning about the tried and true techniques and the latest innovations used in upper airway surgeries.

Theriogenology Wet Labs

The Rood & Riddle Theriogenologists created a wet lab like no other. Doctors Etta Bradecamp, Maria Schnobrich, Charlie Scoggin, Pete Sheerin, and Stephanie Walbornn were joined by visiting veterinarians Dr. Ryan Ferris and Dr. Catherine Renaudin, and Rood & Riddle doctors Kevin Hyde, Woodrow Friend, Jamie Kaczor, Nate Newton, Erin Lohbeck, Heidi Twist and Tom Riddle. The team set up rotating labs where each participant could get hands-on experience.

Many of the labs had never been offered in this manner before. Labs included early fetal sexing, hysteroscopy, testicular ultrasound, semen collection and processing, embryo flush and transfer, and ultrasound evaluation of pregnancy in mid and late gestation with fetal sexing.

Rood & Riddle made a contribution to the Theriogenology Foundation from the proceeds of the wet labs.

“

Find out what you really enjoy and become very good at it.

Dr. Larry Bramlage, one of the surgeons at Rood & Riddle. Early in our careers, we are always trying to find out what we really like; often, it ends up being something you have a knack for or simply a special interest. ”

FINDING A WORK-LIFE BALANCE FOR NEW VET SCHOOL GRADUATES

by Dr. Debbie Spike-Pierce

QUESTION: What are some tips/ideas you give to new veterinary graduates about balancing family and veterinary practice?

Dr. Debbie Spike-Pierce:

1) Find out what you really enjoy and become very good at it. This is a piece of advice I learned from Dr. Larry Bramlage, one of the surgeons at Rood & Riddle. Early in our careers, we are always trying to find out what we really like; often, it ends up being something you have a knack for or simply a special interest. Spend time learning and perfecting this skill. Read everything you can find regarding your topic of interest: textbooks, journals, reports from specialists, and even lay journals. Find a mentor. Listen to their client communications, ride along with them, and spend time observing. Competence, along with confidence, will speed up your day.

2) Become an excellent horseperson. Learn the breed and discipline you are working with. This improves confidence in yourself and also the clients’ confidence in you. Efficiencies are realized when you know how to handle a horse and speak a common language with a horse owner. This skill is often developed before you carry the weight of veterinary knowledge. Take opportunities before and during veterinary school to put yourself in horse learning scenarios. We all continue to learn after vet school, but start learning now.

3) Interview the practice that is interviewing you. Look around when visiting a practice and see if they hold the same values as you. Do the veterinarians have children? Do they work all day and night? Do they have what you believe to be balance? When students visit our practice, if we don’t have much on for the day, we probably won’t take a student with us because we don’t feel they will “learn” enough. In reality, they aren’t seeing the downtime the veterinarians may have. You need to evaluate the “life” side of practice, not just veterinary medicine. If you want children and you interview with a practice where none of the doctors have kids, you may want to ask yourself if this is truly the right fit. If you see clinicians making time for their kid’s sporting events, you know family is most likely a priority.

“Interview the practice that is interviewing you. Look around when visiting a practice and see if they hold the same values as you. ”

“Make your family a priority; nonemergent work can wait.”

“ Take advantage of the flexibility equine ambulatory practice allows ”

4) Set boundaries. This can be tough because you always want to be available to your clients and your clients want to be able to reach you. If a client has an emergency, they have to be able to reach veterinary care, in some instances, immediately. How is this possible without being on call 24/7? In order to have complete time away from practice, there must be another competent veterinarian covering for you. There should be some familiarity between your client and the other veterinarian. Your client has to be informed when you are not available and how to reach that other veterinarian. This takes scheduling and good communication, but it certainly can be done.

5) Make your family a priority; non-emergent work can wait. I have witnessed this in many of my mentors, especially Dr. Embertson, also a senior surgeon at Rood and Riddle. If your call can be done after a child’s ballgame, do it after. Prioritize your family above nonurgent work.

6) Include your family in your equine practice. During my childhood, I loved going on farm calls with my dad. Most of my clients know my daughters because they have met them. We have veterinarians who don’t have kids that take their spouse or significant other on calls with them. Don’t be afraid to include your family in your practice. It is a way to keep the balance in both worlds.

7) Ride your horse. I have heard from my children that people tell them not to go into equine medicine because they won’t have time to ride their horse. Make time. Place it on your schedule if you need to. Spending time with horses is why many of us entered this profession, and it will keep you happy. Happy people are more productive.

8) Organize your schedule geographically. Being an equine practitioner typically requires a significant amount of windshield time. Communicate with your clients what days of the week you will be in their vicinity. The less time you spend on the road is more time for your discretion.

9) Take advantage of the flexibility equine ambulatory practice allows. While driving around the countryside on farm calls, take some “you” time and place it in your schedule just like a call. Have lunch at home, run an errand between stops, go to the grocery, or pick up your kids.

Sustainability is different for everyone. Equine practice requires some flexibility from both the veterinarian and the client, but when we reach that place where both parties are happy, there is nothing better.

Dr. Debbie Spike-Pierce’s passion for horses began at a very young age. Her father and grandfather were veterinarians, and she grew up working with Standardbred race horses. She also showed Saddle Seat with her Morgan horse. In 1993, Dr. Spike-Pierce graduated from veterinary school from Michigan State University. She has held previous positions as KAEP and KVMA Presidents and is also very active in the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP).

Areas of interest for Dr. Spike-Pierce are field diagnostic imaging, conformation, lameness, and public sales. Dr. Spike-Pierce is married to veterinarian and shareholder Dr. Scott Pierce. They have two girls, Vivian and Audra. In Drs. Pierce and Spike-Pierce’s spare time, they own and operate a Thoroughbred breeding farm and race Standardbreds.

Reprinted with permission of the

Debbie Spike-Pierce DVM, MBA

“ It’s not really that easy to use bicarbonate to improve the health of horses in everyday life. ”

CAN BAKING SODA REALLY HELP MY HORSE?

by Dr. Peter Morresey Internal Medicine

QUESTION: I’ve heard that baking soda can help a number of medical conditions for horses, including gastric ulcers. Is its versatility more miracle or myth?

Dr. Peter Morresey: Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) has myriad uses around the home: cooking, cleaning, and freshening the air. It is a kitchen staple. There is also a lot of information available anecdotally and on the internet as to the supposed benefits of its use in horses, whether strategically for performance enhancement or every day for overall health improvement.

Bicarbonate has a degree of notoriety due to the act of ‘milkshaking’ – giving horses a large quantity prior to strenuous exercise to allow them to combat fatigue towards the end of a race.

There is a reason this is illegal – performance-enhancing effects have variably occurred in controlled studies.¹-³ Also, bicarbonate administration, if sufficient, can alter urine pH and drug elimination potentially allowing ‘doping’ with banned substances.⁴

To maintain the integrity of and public confidence in equine sporting activities, testing of blood pH (acidity) via total carbon dioxide levels (TCO2) is regularly performed to ensure this remains within the expected range for healthy horses. Deviations are taken as proof of the administration of bicarbonate and significant penalties follow. Very few horses would naturally achieve these pH levels, although any supplementation in the diet should naturally be done with care. Large amounts must be administered to meaningfully change the acidbase status of the horse to combat fatigue, and nasogastric administration is necessary. Up to one pound may be necessary.⁵

“Bicarbonate dissociates in water. ”

It’s not really that easy to use bicarbonate to improve the health of horses in everyday life. Prevention of muscle enzyme increase post exercise leading to ‘tying-up’ has not been proven experimentally.⁶ Addition to water in amounts in common usage does not increase intake.¹ Bicarbonate simply does not taste good. Horses will not voluntarily consume the amount required to change anything, no matter how you disguise it. That is a distinct disadvantage when it has a medical indication. A condition known as renal tubular acidosis which causes unsafe blood pH through alterations in bicarbonate levels, while rare, is a significant problem for those horses who suffer from it. The amount of bicarbonate needed to counter its life-threatening effects and enable a normal life are very hard to add to feed and have voluntarily accepted.

“If amounts sufficient to enable a therapeutic effect are needed for the health of your horse, your veterinarian can recommend methods to do this that the horse will accept.”

Bicarbonate dissociates in water. It is also immediately broken down by the acidity of the stomach to produce carbon dioxide, making it unavailable to the lower gut (where it supposedly reaches allowing its beneficial actions). This gas does not linger in the stomach as gas causing bloating, rather it is absorbed into the blood and alters total carbon dioxide, a measure of blood pH. It simply does not have the direct effects commonly ascribed to it.

All of that does not mean bicarbonate could not have beneficial effects. High grain diets promote acidity during digestion. This happens in areas of the gut that a horse eating forage only would not experience. These acids are irritant and can draw water into the gut. Bicarbonate, if it can reach the intestinal tract, would be of great benefit to counter this acidity. Protected bicarbonate can pass the stomach and reach to lower gut for buffering of content and absorption. This is achieved by coating the bicarbonate with oil or fat which resists gastric acid destruction of the bicarbonate. These products are commercially available and find usage in the management of digestive upsets and lower gut gas production.

There will be no harm adding a small amount of bicarbonate (regularly 1-2 tablespoons) to your horse’s feed. It just may not do the good you have been told it will. If amounts sufficient to enable a therapeutic effect are needed for the health of your horse, your veterinarian can recommend methods to do this that the horse will accept.

Reference List

1. Schott II HC and Hinchcliff KW. Treatments affecting fluid and electrolyte status during exercise. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice 1998;14:175204.

2. Popplewell JC, Topliff DR, Freeman DW et al. Effects of dietary cation-anion balance on acid base balance and blood parameters in anaerobically exercised horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 1993;13:552-555.

3. Schuback K, EssenGÇÉGustavsson B, Persson SGB. Effect of sodium bicarbonate administration on metabolic responses to maximal exercise. Equine Veterinary Journal 2002;34:539-544.

4. Lloyd DR, Rose RJ, Duffield AM et al. Effects of sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride on the elimination of etorphine in equine urine. Journal of analytical toxicology 1996;20:81-88.

5. Lloyd DR and Rose RJ. Effects of sodium bicarbonate on acid-base status and exercise capacity. Equine Veterinary Journal 1995;27:323-325.

6. McKenzie EC, Valberg SJ, Godden SM et al. Effect of dietary starch, fat, and bicarbonate content on exercise responses and serum creatine kinase activity in equine recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2003;17:693-701.

Dr. Peter Morresey began his career in New Zealand as a mixed animal practitioner following graduation from Massey University in 1988. He completed a theriogenology residence at the University of Florida and spent time as part of the clinical faculty at the University of Pennsylvania. Areas of interest include reproduction, internal medicine, neonatal medicine, veterinary business and Chinese medicine.

Peter Morresey

BVSc, MVM, MACVSc, DACT, DACVIM (LAIM), CVA

Bramlage DVM, DACVS

“So, where are we now? Sales companies and racing jurisdictions have stepped in and outlawed the use of bisphosphonates in most venues. ”

DR. LARRY BRAMLAGE ON BISPHOSPHONATES IN YOUNG HORSES – WHERE ARE WE NOW?

Dr. Larry Bramlage: In 2016, we began talking to our clients about a phenomenon that we were seeing more and more frequently in young racehorses. The problem was being seen in all common bone injuries that we encounter in the racehorse from dorsal cortical stress fractures to condylar fractures to the very common subchondral bone inflammation/bruising of the distal cannon bones. In some horses, orthopedic injuries were not healing or healing very slowly compared to what we expected. Clinical experience, retrospective studies of success rates, and published papers has given us pretty solid evidence of what to expect as the healing time with the treatment of the commonly encountered racehorse conditions. But suddenly some horses were taking three or four times the time expected to heal and a few never fully healed. The number of these slow healing injuries continued to grow during 2015.

As we began assessing the histories of horses where the aberrant healing was occurring, many had a history of bisphosphonate use as yearlings to improve the radiographs for sale or as a racehorse during a bout of lameness. So, we began discussing the findings and informing veterinarians, trainers, and owners of the possible detrimental side effect of bisphosphonate use. Veterinarians in many locations were making the same observations of disturbed healing and possible increased injury rates in young training horses of several breeds.

Bisphosphonates were approved in 2014. In 2015 we began to see storms of slow healing fractures and slow healing distal cannon bone subchondral bone inflammation/ bruising. That led to the suspicion that bisphosphonates may be the reason.

“Veterinarians, owners, farm managers and trainers appear to have mitigated the use of bisphosphonates and should be credited with their response to protect the health and welfare of the horses. ”

“To all of our credit, this has been a positive response to an initially unknown complication of treatment that was detrimental to the racehorse. For all of the things we wring our hands about that we have trouble changing, this is one we could, and did, circumvent for our good and for the good of our athletes.”

Larry Bramlage is a 1975 graduate of the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and received a Master of Science degree from Ohio State (MS) in 1978. He holds a Diploma of the American College of Veterinary Surgery (Diplomate ACVS).

Bramlage is an internationally recognized equine orthopedic surgeon, and is a senior surgeon at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. He is a past President of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, and of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Reprinted

Bone healing is a two-phase process. The bone bridges the fracture gap with new, poorly-organized bone that can be formed very quickly. Then it remodels the stabilized fracture back to the bone’s pre-fracture architecture. Once the fracture gap is filled, the bone damaged by the fracture and the newly-deposited bone are removed and replaced with the appropriate trabecular or cortical bone, depending on the structure involved. This process involves two cell types — osteoclasts which remove bone and osteoblasts which make bone. As the osteoclasts remove the weak bone, the osteoblasts follow immediately behind to reconstruct the normal bone. The anatomy varies depending on which bone is injured and where it is injured, but bone is one of the few tissues capable of perfectly replacing itself when injured.

Bisphosphonates kill osteoclasts. It bonds to the surface of bone and when the osteoclasts try to remove the bone that needs to be replaced, they die after ingesting the bisphosphonate. This arrests the remodeling process and stalls bone healing by stopping the remodeling phase of healing. This is true for macro injuries such as fractures and for micro injuries which result from routine training. The injured bone can make new bone but it can’t be remodeled without osteoclasts to clear the way for the osteoblasts. So what good are bisphosphonates and why were they developed? Bisphosphonates were developed to arrest the hormone-driven bone remodeling which is common in post-menopausal women who get too little exercise. The hormonal driven remodeling removes an inappropriately large amount of bone and weakens the skeleton, especially the vertebrae, which when weakened can result in the “dowager’s hump” spinal deformity. The bisphosphonates were given to prevent the removal of the bone by killing the osteoclasts.

But bisphosphonates also have another effect. They cause non-specific pain relief, analgesia, in bone. This led to their use to manage pain in bone tumors in people, especially in cancer of the spine. The mechanism is still unclear, but the analgesia is significant and non-specific so if you give it systemically it will help manage the pain no matter where the tumor is located. This analgesia led to the use of bisphosphonates to manage lameness in horses. The proposed mechanism is that it stops excessive bone remodeling in sites of lameness by arresting bone removal. Whether blocking bone re-absorption or a primary analgesia is the mechanism of action is still debated. The blocking of bone re-absorption led to use to try and increase the density in the skeleton by stopping bone loss to the remodeling process. So, bisphosphonates gained popularity to try to increase the density of bone in bone remodeling sites such as sesamoids and navicular bones. And, they became popular as the perfect lameness treatment; it is effective if the lameness originates in the bone, and you don’t even have to know the site of origin.

But there is a price to be paid. Killing the osteoclasts prevented the normal bone remodeling necessary to maintain a developing skeleton (e.g., the young training racehorse). This retards adaptation to training, potentially increasing the susceptibility to injury, and it nearly arrests the remodeling process that is the second phase of bone healing in a fracture or in trauma to the bone.

The difficulty is if a horse is given bisphosphonates it binds to the interior surfaces of bone and can persist two years or more. So many horsemen weren’t even aware, when a horse arrived for training, that there was a history of bisphosphonate use.

To their credit, most horsemen and veterinarians quickly understood the risks of bisphosphonate use and the use rapidly declined over the next two years in young training horses. The drug still has a place in certain conditions in older horses, but it does not in the young training athlete. It can be dangerous to the horse’s career and their resistance to injury. It is approved by the FDA for horses with navicular disease who are four years old or older.

So, where are we now? Sales companies and racing jurisdictions have stepped in and outlawed the use of bisphosphonates in most venues. Currently we still see an occasional horse with a fracture that shows disturbed healing but there is nowhere near the incidence of the problem that was occurring in 2015 and 2016. Veterinarians, owners, farm managers and trainers appear to have mitigated the use of bisphosphonates and should be credited with their response to protect the health and welfare of the horses. Sales companies and regulatory agencies have done their part and the current situation appears to be generally free from bisphosphonate use in the young growing and training horses. A horse that we suspect is showing signs of bisphosphonate treatment in the past still presents occasionally, but not regularly any longer. I suspect bisphosphonates are still intermittently used when a horse does not respond to common treatments.

To all of our credit, this has been a positive response to an initially unknown complication of treatment that was detrimental to the racehorse. For all of the things we wring our hands about that we have trouble changing, this is one we could, and did, circumvent for our good and for the good of our athletes.

QUESTION: You first raised the alarm about the potential drawbacks of bisphosphonate use in young racehorses several years ago now. Where are we with these drugs now?

with permission of the

Larry

From the Pharmacy

Meet Jared Rhoades, the new pharmacist at RRVP. Jared attended pharmacy school at Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy in Nashville, TN, and graduated in 2020. A unique experience he had was that he got to go on an 8-day mission trip to Honduras. Jared was able to provide pharmacy care to the people in the region and was impacted by their generosity. During school, he shadowed at a veterinary pharmacy; the ability to combine compounding and animals is what drew him to the veterinary side of the pharmacy industry. Another reason to switch to the animal side was his Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. His dog required different medications throughout his life. Through the death of his beloved dog, he realized that he had a passion for aiding others with their pets and livestock. While waiting for a position in the industry, he was the Pharmacist In-Charge at a small independent pharmacy in Owingsville, Ky. While there, he enjoyed coaching various basketball teams to promote the business and encourage the next generation to play. The promotion of teamwork, heart, and resiliency inspires him to coach and work with the Rood & Riddle Pharmacy team. On his weekends off, he enjoys going to the movies, reading, and playing the violin/guitar. He looks forward to growing his career at Rood & Riddle and is excited about the future.

StallSide Podcast

If you haven’t already, make sure you check out Stallside, Rood & Riddle’s healthcare podcast, sponsored by Rood & Riddle Veterinary Pharmacy. The podcast is available on the Rood & Riddle YouTube channel; if you are not a podcast watcher, now is an excellent time to start. Click here to start watching!

The audio version of the podcast is available on all major streaming platforms.

Recent Episodes

An Elusive Disease (PPID) with Dr

Diane McFarlane

While more commonly known as Cushing’s Disease, Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) is a very elusive condition to definitively diagnosis. Mostly found in elderly horses, the clinical signs of PPID can include weight loss, chronic infections, and the classic sign carrying a winter coat late into the spring. With over twenty years of researching endocrine diseases, Dr. Diane McFarlane discusses her findings and what they mean for the horse and the owner. She reviews the clinical symptoms, the diagnostic tests available, and the treatment options available for PPID. Click here to watch.

Triage Evacuation

and caring for animals affected by wildfire with Dr John Madigan

With wildfires happening more frequently throughout the United States, the need for horse and animal rescue has increased too. Returning guest Dr. John Madigan of UC Davis walks us through the steps taken by the rescue teams after the fire dies out. He goes through the significant concerns of air quality, food, water, loose horses, and shelter for those that survive. Dr. Madigan continues the discussion by touching on the different types of triage, common injuries seen, and the various therapies used to help. Click here to watch.

The Time is

Right for

Your

Barren

Mare’s Check up with Dr Pete

Sheerin

Theriogenologist Dr. Pete Sheerin joins Dr. Bart Barber and Dr. Peter Morresey to talk about the steps you can take to get your barren mare ready for the upcoming breeding season. The trio discusses the wide variety of issues that can cause your mare’s infertility and how you can intervene to improve the chances of a successful pregnancy. Click here to watch.

The Latest Technology for the Equine Industry with Dr Kevin Corley Software development in the equine industry hasn’t grown at the pace that it has in other industries. Communication and information flow is vital for equine healthcare. Dr. Kevin Corley, veterinarian and software developer, talks about Equitrace, a multifunction application. In combination with a microchip, Equitrace allows for a myriad of information, including individual horse identification information, daily health checks, temperature, treatment history, and future treatment schedules. It can help improve biosecurity at the farm, show venue, or racetrack. This app helps facilitate smooth, quick, and accurate communication between the entire horse’s management team, including the owners, trainers, barn staff, and veterinarians. Click here to watch.

Jared Rhoades