MY STORY

My path to veterinary medicine began as I walked through the Dartmouth College gym in the spring of 1969. There in front of me was a card table set up to promote a college club. Behind the table sat Mary Blodgett, who had a dream that Dartmouth should have a horseback riding club. For this, she needed bodies, so I signed up despite having only ridden once or twice before in my life. It turned out to have been a great decision, as I had a lot of fun with the horses and discovered my passion for caring for animals. Riding in those days was different, involving more riding and fewer lessons. Every time we left the barn, we had to trot a mile and then we could do all the galloping we wanted. I found Mary putting me on more and more challenging horses throughout the spring and, though I had no real background with horses, I realized that the horses liked me and I them.

 

By going to Dartmouth, I was really escaping suburbia and a life of working in offices. Combining this desire with my realization of my affinity to horses, it was no great leap to conclude that being a large animal veterinarian would be the perfect career for me. Despite knowing nothing about equine medicine, I knew I could rely on horses for help. This dream has stayed with me to this day and I have had a quite enjoyable life caring for horses and all manners of other creatures.

 

Certainly, my vet practice has changed over the years. Centered in Brookfield, Vermont my patients were predominantly cattle at the beginning when the lush central Vermont hills were filled with dairies. All of those sadly now abandoned barns housed small herds of cows which could support a family milking only 40 or so heifers. I was lucky enough to at least come along at the end of that era and work for many years with unforgettable farmers and their herds. While I still love working with the farmers that remain, horses have steadily grown in number to occupy many abandoned dairy fields. In the last 20 years, sheep and goats have also become much more popular, as the demand for Vermont goats milk continues to grow, while cow milk is largely priced below the cost of production.

 

What keeps me going is that this mixed veterinary practice is fun. There is always something new to stimulate my mind, it enables me to be outside staying active, and I truly enjoy the opportunity to interact with a variety of animals. Over the years, I have also enjoyed learning new ways to help those animals, including continuing education on general veterinary medicine, as well as being trained in acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, and cold laser therapy. I enjoy integrating these methods to create a tailored treatment for each of my patients and knowing that I am providing the animal with the best possible path to recovery. The animals are nearly always friendly and receptive to my treatment. In the larger sense, by helping them I have the opportunity to make the world a better place each day. This is a way to nurture spirit - not bad for a day’s work.