American Association of Equine Practitioners – December 7-11, 2024
Event
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) held its 70th annual convention from December 7–11, 2024, in Orlando, Florida.
Program
The convention offered equine practitioners solutions for everyday practice and opportunities to practice clinical techniques and learn from their peers. The event drew more than 4,900 attendees, including veterinarians, veterinary students, and exhibitors. The convention also offered a virtual option via on-demand access to recorded educational sessions.
The Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture was delivered by Dr. Lisa Fortier, James Law professor of surgery at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) and American Journal of Veterinary Research (AJVR) and director of the Publications Division at the American Veterinary Medical Association. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Dr. Fortier’s lecture was titled “The Equine Community Leading the Way in Orthobiologics,” a field that aims to harness the body's natural healing capabilities. During her talk, Dr. Fortier discussed the history of the main orthobiologics used today in practice: autologous conditioned serum (interleukin-1 receptor agonist protein or IRAP), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and bone-marrow cultured derived mesenchymal stem cells.
Despite her extensive experience, Dr. Fortier highlighted fundamental questions about which biologic is best, the optimal number of injections, and return-to-work timelines that remain without definitive answers because of the complexity and variability of these treatments between individual horses.
Dr. Fortier emphasized that while not miracle cures, orthobiologics should be considered as first-line therapies, particularly when treating acute injuries. And she cautioned against using these biologics on chronic conditions such as end-stage arthritis or old tendon injuries.
In fact, the horse's overall health plays a critical role in the success of orthobiologic treatments.
“Nothing is going to heal if you have bad biology. We’re becoming much more aware of subtle endocrine abnormalities, and these horses, who have a higher risk of tendon injury, will not heal as you might expect,” she said.
Awards
Distinguished Educator–Academic Award
Dr. Katie Sheats (North Carolina State ’05), Raleigh, North Carolina. Dr. Sheats serves as an associate professor of equine primary care at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where she also leads the equine primary care rotation. She developed the veterinary college’s first formal distributive clinical education program, and, by partnering with local and regional practices, she created an introductory boot camp to ensure students are prepared for the veterinary field upon graduation. Dr. Sheats was recognized for her innovative leadership that is transforming the education and training of veterinary students.
Distinguished Educator–Mentor Award
Dr. Tom Riddle (Georgia ’78), Lexington, Kentucky. Dr. Riddle is the co-founder of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington and served as director of marketing for the practice prior to retirement. Known for his expertise in equine reproduction, Dr. Riddle has spearheaded continuing education events focused on the subject, including a low-cost symposium for theriogenology residents to acquire hands-on knowledge and skills with the support of established theriogenologists. Dr. Riddle is a past president of the Kentucky Association of Equine Practitioners, Society for Theriogenology, and the Theriogenology Foundation. He was honored for his dedication to teaching and mentoring and for influencing and helping to shape the careers of veterinary interns and others who have worked at his practice.
Research Award
Dr. Noah Cohen (Pennsylvania ’83), College Station, Texas. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in large animal internal medicine and an honorary diplomate of what is now known as the American Veterinary One Health Society, Dr. Cohen is Glen Blodgett chair of equine studies, a distinguished professor, and associate department head of research and graduate studies in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. He was recognized for his research on equine strangles and Rhodococcus equi that has resulted in significant advances in understanding the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of these diseases.
Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Bruce Whittle (Missouri ’94), Trenton, Missouri. Dr. Whittle owns Honey Creek Veterinary Hospital in Trenton. Actively involved with the AAEP’s Student Essential Skills Workshop in dentistry, he has served as an instructor at 45 workshops at more than 20 schools and colleges of veterinary medicine. Dr. Whittle has also engaged in state-level legislative action to deregulate equine dentistry and has educated VMAs about the potential negative professional, ethical, and healthcare effects of unlicensed veterinary practices. He was recognized for his longstanding leadership of the student workshops and his advocacy on veterinary scope of practice issues.
President’s Award
Dr. Sara Langsam (Pennsylvania ’02), Garden City, New York. Dr. Langsam is a partner at Teigland, Franklin and Brokken DVM’s Inc. (TFB Equine) in south Florida and serves as manager of its Belmont Park division. In 2023, she coordinated a Thoroughbred safety and injury prevention summit. Chair of the AAEP Racing Committee, Dr. Langsam spearheaded the AAEP’s efforts to address the issue of catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses beyond already established risk assessment protocols, resulting in a potentially transformational year-long project that began in January. The project will evaluate the suitability of six different wearable biometric sensors for use in initial screening of the Thoroughbred racing and training population in the country with the goal of early identification of horses at risk for musculoskeletal injury.
Gary Lavin Equine Welfare Award
Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare (CTA), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, a Thoroughbred aftercare program committed to the wellbeing and care of racehorses after their racing careers have ended, received this award for its dedication to the rehabilitation and rehoming of retired racehorses and its advocacy for the humane treatment of horses. Since 2017, CTA has cared for more than 300 equines and partnered with individuals and organizations to raise funds and goods that provided relief to horses in Puerto Rico and other islands in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. In 2021, CTA, along with other racing entities in the U.S., denounced the practice of shipping Thoroughbred racehorses from the United States to Puerto Rico via modified cargo containers. This resulted in the Puerto Rico Gaming Commission establishing stringent cargo shipping requirements for a safer and more humane journey.
Business
Several of the AAEP’s councils and committees shared work reports. The AAEP’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee sponsored its first-ever Horse Vet for a Day event at an area therapeutic riding facility. Nearly 40 middle and high school students participated, learning about horse care and careers in equine practice. The Foundation for the Horse awarded $540,000 in scholarships to 25 veterinary students and two researchers. This included the 2024 Coyote Rock Ranch Veterinary Scholarships of $75,000 each to four veterinary students.
Officials
Drs. Tracy Turner, Stillwater, Minnesota, president; Sarah Reuss, Littleton, Colorado, president-elect; Eric Mueller, Sunset, South Carolina, vice president; Mitchell Rode, Berryville, Virginia, treasurer; and Katie Garrett, Lexington, Kentucky, immediate past president
A version of this story appears in the July 2025 print issue of JAVMA